I Can't Ever Leave You
by Ibea Female Pirate Savvy
Summary: CH.21 UP it's a good'un! JackOC, NOT a MarySue. Jack is captured by a childhood friend after 11 years who plans to rob Isla du Muerta. But is that all there is to it? Pssh, of course not! Where would the story be in that! Rated AHR Angsty Humorous Romance
1. Chapter 1

POTC fic 

By Kitty =^.^=

**Category: **Pirates of the Caribbean

**Genre: **Romance/Comedy/Action Adventure

**Summary: **Jack meets up with a childhood friend. And, wait... She's a pirate too? A pirate CAPTAIN? With her own fleet?! And now she's going to try and catch up with the Black Pearl. Interesting name for a ship when her name happens to be... well, anyway... "We're going to pay Jack Sparrow a little visit, savvy?" Then Jack remembers how he felt about her and why he had to leave her. (This is sometimes an introspective look at Jack's past.)   

**A/N: **Ah, well, another wonderful day for fanfiction, isn't it? And it doesn't matter what day it is because EVERY day is a good day for fanfiction!! =^.^= meow meow, please read da kitty's new story for it is very good. And about Jack Sparrow from PotC, what MORE could you people POSSIBLY **_WANT_**?!?! Enjoy please! And remember to R'n'R (read and review, not rock and roll, although the latter is acceptable when done with the former...)

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"Oh, Jack!" A barely audible whisper in a black crystal, starlit gem. "They're _beautiful_..." Lela looked up from the necklace to Jack's face, with dark chocolate eyes, wild hair, and defined cheekbones. "Why? It must have cost a fortune--!" Jack reached up and covered his friend's lips with a gentle touch by rough, calloused hand. 

"I wanted to. It's your 14th birthday and I wanted to get you something special." He slowly slid his hand back from Lela's lips, ready to dart back to her mouth if she protested again. "I wanted to," he repeated softly. Then, with a sly smirk, he added, "And you had better like that necklace, savvy? It took me quite a while to, uh, commandeer, it..." 

Lela sighed and chuckled slightly. She looked back down at the necklace of dark, silky-smooth black pearls, strung together with a shiny, gossamer silver string. And at the bottom in the center, was a black jewel in the shape of stalking panther with tiny dark emerald green eyes. She gasped again at the beauty of such a little thing. "Oh... Jack... wher_ever_ did you get it? It's magnificent! The details of this cat are amazing, I've--!" Lela looked up into Jack's shadowy gaze. "I've never seen its equal..." All of a sudden, Lela realized how close she and Jack were; sitting on the stone fence in the middle of the Jade Sea Meadow. It was their place. Since they were little things of 8 and 10, Jack being the older one. Now it was almost 11 o'clock at night on her 14th birthday. Jack was 16, and both of them were as close as ever... figuratively and, uh, literally.

She quickly looked back down at the necklace and pointed a rather shaky finger at the black jewel in the center. "This... this gem is beautiful. What is it?" Lela could feel her face was hot. __

Jack had heard Lela's question about the jewel in the back of his mind somewhere, but he wasn't listening. He was noticing how close he and Lela were. Her hair was next to his fingers, just grazing the stone fence they sat on. It had always been long, but now it was a wild, waist length cascade. _Ack! Where did _that_ come from?! CASCADE??!!_

"Jack? Alive in there?" Lela lightly punched Jack's arm. He looked up and his mind jumped back onto the road of reality and screeched with halt at the corner of embarrassment and confusion.  

"What now?" he mumbled. Lela rolled her eyes and tried to regain her cool composure. 

"You're always spacing off these days! I swear your mind is not here!" Lela gave herself a mental shake and wondered if Jack noticed how shaky her voice was. "I-is there some new girl you're involved with? Hmm? Is that why you're never here with me anymore?" She laughed and looked at Jack's face. "Honestly!" she said tartly with mock annoyance in her voice. "It's embarrassing, Jack!" She giggled nervously and again tried to regain her serene poise of smooth confidence that she usually held... She failed miserably.

_Yes there's someone, _Jack thought sadly. _It's YOU. _"No, there's no one!" Also trying to appear cool, calm, and collected, Jack lightly yanked a small lock of Lela's silky hair. "Don't be daft, girl." Lela squealed slightly as she felt her hair being tugged.

"Jack!" Lela slapped at his hand and batted it away.

"I didn't do anything," Jack said softly, holding up his free hand and examining the fingernails as he gave another tug with his occupied hand which was still wrapped in Lela's shadowy black hair with red stands running through it.

"Ack!" Lela yelped. "_Jack_!! Stop that, you twit!" She was beginning very aggravated now... 

"What?" Jack asked innocently, with a feral grin plastered on his lips. "That's what you get for saying I'm foolin' around with someone!" He poked her in the side and tickled her till he heard her make a strangled giggle. 

"Jack! You're absolutely horrid!" Lela frowned a bit and pushed Jack's chest with her palms. And pushed Jack off the wall. He fell backwards and did a bit of a flip and ended up landing on his backside. At first Lela was scared that she may have hurt him and shouted, "Jack!! Oh, damn, I'm sorry!" Then she stopped, and a sly smile crept over her face. She gave an evil chuckle and purred, "But see? That's what _you_ get for being a bully." She stuck her tongue out. "Mmmnyah!"

Jack just lay back on the grass that was slightly damp from the night dew. Why did she have to say his name so much? She had said it seven times since he had given the necklace to her. Yes, he had counted. _No I did NOT count, I'm just guessing!! _He thought angrily to himself. _Oh, don't try and get out of it! _His conscience thought back at him. _You counted because you want her to never stop saying anything BUT your name._ Jack frowned a little, just enough to put a little purse on his lips. But when he saw Lela smiling like that, like some undomesticated jungle cat about to pounce on its prey, his frown was replaced by a grin. A small one. He didn't want to her to notice anything... 

_WHAT?! Why do I care if she sees me smiling? It's not like I'm sweet on 'er or anythin'... _The little voice inside Jack's head said, _Oh, AREN'T you? Then why, pray tell, do you want to wrap her in your arms so no one else can have her every time she smiles or laughs or cries or any other man looks at her? Hmm? Can you answer that? _Jack almost visibly flinched at the internal question. _I-I-I DON'T do that! She... she's just a girl... _If Jack's conscience had been manifested into a person, it would have worn an arrogant smirk on its face while it beguiled in a clandestinely devious voice, _Yes, Jack. A deliciously gorgeous girl... _Jack's eyes widened at his own thoughts that he barely seemed to think on his own. 

"You're right," Jack exclaimed suddenly. Lela closed her mouth and stared at her friend, confused. "I was being a bit of a bully. But..." Jack lifted up his leg slowly till the foot was resting on the small stonewall, right next to Lela's side. _I'll show this girl how to play. _"You've got to admit..." murmured Jack, brushing his bare toes against the girl's thigh and making her take a quiet sharp intake of breath, "That you've had your moments too..." Jack kicked her off the wall and onto the ground next to him. "And that's what _you _get," he shouted triumphantly, "for saying that pushing me onto the ground is what _I _got for being a bully!" Jack rolled with laughter as Lela flopped onto the meadow grass. Her eyes narrowed and she simpered a sly smile as she crawled over to Jack. While the lad still snickered, the lass quietly crept towards him. As soon as her hands were close enough to his stomach...

"Oh, El, that fall was priceless! Ha ha ha h—AAAAAGGGHH!! Stop that, Lela!"

Lela dug her nails into Jack's ribs and tickled him more. "Oh, no, I think not!" she smiled smugly. "Now you're _really_ laughing!" More tickling ensued.

After a wild brawl with wrestling and tickling and laughing and screaming, Lela and Jack finally lay back on the grass, flattening the emerald blades. Lela looked up at the stars, and Jack looked at Lela. Her tresses of shadowy black were ruffled and mussed considerably, and bits of grass were stuck in between the strands. Jack watched as Lela's eyes fluttered close and her chest rose and fell with a deep sigh. She was so pretty after they fought like that, and like all the times before; he smiled. Then he slapped a hand against his forehead.

Why did he have to think like this? _This. Is. TERRIBLE. I am in such shit! She is my best friend. Not my lover... _Lela kicked her legs up onto the little stone fence. _And, damn it, **that's **just NOT fair. She IS the greatest friend I ever had and she ISN'T my girl... _Jack glimpsed at the creamy pastel-skinned, dark-haired sprite next to him again. He wryly smiled. _But she should be. _Jack leaned back into the deep grass and closed his eyes... 

And then there was that little psyche imp darted back into Jack's head. _Yes, well, at least you confessed to your love for her. Just to yourself, not to her, but can't have everything can you? _Jack's overcast coffee eyes snapped open. And the demon snickered. _Yeah, that's right. Admit it, Jack. You desire her like a thirsting man does water. You hunger and ache for her lips against yours! And, not only that... _The materialization of thought would leer even more now. _Not only that, but are we possibly entering the realm of a certain four-lettered 'L' word that is, say, more than comradeship? _   

Jack's breath caught in his throat. _Can that be right? Do I lo... **love** her? _Jack looked over at Lela again, at her tousled hair and the little fragments of grass spread through out the raven locks of hair. Her hazy sapphire eyes flickered and looked into his as he brushed a few pieces away. She sat up a little, hovering over Jack, and sleepily giving a small smile. And Jack watched Lela as she stuck her tongue out at him. And while she flopped down on her stomach as she sidled up to him and wrapped her arms around his chest. She closed her eyes once more with a contented sigh and a blissful smile. Jack smiled and slid one hand to her waist and the other to her neck under her long hair that matched the midnight sky. He gave her a tight squeeze and sighed. Yup. He loved her all right. 

And it scared him senseless. (Not that he really had much sense to begin with...)

But Jack was apprehensive of the situation. The girl he loved was now in his arms, her arms encircling him. They were out in a meadow, at night, with no one else around... Jack began to worry. He didn't trust himself very often, and... The roguish conscience of Jack kept repeating an earlier proposal that it had schemed: _You desire her like a thirsting man does water. You hunger and ache for her lips against yours! _Jack's hand gripped Lela's hip tightly. _And no one is around, Jack. She is lying in your arms, practically **begging** for you to kiss her..._

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A/N: Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm huummm, hah hah HAH HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA!! Well, are you angry with me yet? If you are I hope its because I ended with a devious little cliffy, and not because you hate the story. I know Jack really seems like a pansy at the moment but he becomes more like himself in the next few chapters. And Lela is NOT just another stupid little Mary-Sue. Personally, I really detest them. She's no ordinary "Oh, look at me! I'm the gorgeous heroine who really has to let my true love save me because if I did anything, I might break a nail!!" girl, if that makes ANY sense at all. Don't worry you'll see what I mean later. Please review! =^.^= Oh, yeah, and there's another chapter next, so go read it! You didn't REALLY think that I would leave you with that cliffy and not give you another chapter at least so you can find out what's happening. I know it all seems a little confusing right now, but after the second chapter it will make more sense. I'm thinkin' this is gonna be a looooong story, so hang onto your hats, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!!

Love,

~*Kitty*~

    =^.^=


	2. Chapter 2

POTC fic 

By Kitty =^.^=

**Category: **Pirates of the Caribbean

**Genre: **Romance/Comedy/Action Adventure

**Summary: **Jack meets up with a childhood friend. And, wait... She's a pirate too? A pirate CAPTAIN? With her own fleet?! And now she's going to try and catch up with the Black Pearl. Interesting name for a ship when her name happens to be... well, anyway... "We're going to pay Jack Sparrow a little visit, savvy?" Then Jack remembers how he felt about her and why he had to leave her. (This is sometimes an introspective look at Jack's past.)   

**A/N: **Ah, well, another wonderful day for fanfiction, isn't it? And it doesn't matter what day it is because EVERY day is a good day for fanfiction!! =^.^= meow meow, please read da kitty's new story for it is very good. And about Jack Sparrow from PotC, what MORE could you people POSSIBLY **_WANT_**?!?! Enjoy please! And remember to R'n'R (read and review, not rock and roll, although the latter is acceptable when done with the former...)

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Jack's breath caught in his throat. _Can that be right? Do I lo... **love** her? _Jack looked over at Lela again, at her tousled hair and the little fragments of grass spread through out the raven locks of hair. Her hazy sapphire eyes flickered and looked into his as he brushed a few pieces away. She sat up a little, hovering over Jack, and sleepily gave a small smile. And Jack watched Lela as she stuck her tongue out at him. And while she flopped down on her stomach as she sidled up to him and wrapped her arms around his chest. She closed her eyes once more with a contented sigh and a blissful smile. Jack smiled and slid one hand to her waist and the other to her neck under her long hair that matched the midnight sky. He gave her a tight squeeze and sighed. Yup. He loved her all right. 

And it scared him senseless. (Not that he really had much sense to begin with...)

But Jack was apprehensive of the situation. The girl he loved was now in his arms, her arms encircling him. They were out in a meadow, at night, with no one else around... Jack began to worry. He didn't trust himself very often, and... The roguish conscience of Jack kept repeating an earlier proposal that it had schemed: _You desire her like a thirsting man does water. You hunger and ache for her lips against yours! _Jack's hand gripped Lela's hip tightly. _And no one is around, Jack. She is lying in your arms, practically **begging** for you to kiss her..._

Jack stared down towards the girl resting on his chest, which caused him to stretch his cheeks and his lower lip purse out in a very comic manner. She had a look of complete serenity and calm on her face, with her cheek snuggled up against Jack's chest. Her hand rested on Jack's shoulder, white contrasting against the black poet's shirt. Her lips were curved slightly into a small smile, just barely pressing outwards. They were the colour of dark scarlet roses, withering from summer and into fall. Jack brushed a fingertip over her bottom lip, just light enough that he could feel them without her noticing. Satin. Smooth and lovely satin that just a single touch could not sate the want. _So what are you waiting for, Jack? _The conscience asked. _She sits there contentedly in your arms with her lips just inches away from yours, so why not?_ Jack was still hesitant, though. _But what will she do?_ He wondered. _Will she push me away or will she... _Jack wouldn't dare think past that point, for now anyways. _Well, only one way to find out, _he thought. 

He pinched his fingers around Lela's nose and around her lips and waited until she started to sputter and wiggle around. She started to laugh and pushed Jack's hands away. "What was that for?!" she shouted, still laughing. Jack smiled his trademark "innocent" smile.

"Well, you were asleep and I wanted to tell you something," he replied inoffensively. Lela rolled her eyes and gave a loud huff.

"You could have just tapped me on the shoulder and said, 'Lela, I wanna tell ya somethin'.' That would've sufficed." Jack stuck out his lip in a mock pout.

"But _my_ way is more fun!" he whined. Again Lela rolled her eyes and chuckled a little.

"All right then, I'm awake. What is so damned important that you had to almost suffocate me to wake me up?" Jack's smile faded slightly, till his features were nothing but an expressionless mask, and he sat up. _What am I going to say? _He wondered, while Lela waited for an answer. _I'm not gonna let her know a thing till I'm I know what she thinks... But how can I do that..._ After a few seconds of thought, a sly smile crept on Jack's face. 

"Well?" Lela asked again, displaying pseudo impatience on her pale face.

"We're going to become pirates," he said nonchalantly with a small shrug. Lela's mouth dropped open as she stared at him.

"Pirates?" she asked, repeating him.

"Pirates," Jack answered back.

"Why?" Lela asked. Her astonished look was replaced by a suspicious one with slitted eyes and her lips tightly drawn together. Jack smirked. _My idea is working perfectly... she never could resist an unanswered question about a plan..._

"Because," he continued, "we would be good at it. We love the sea, we love adventure..." Jack held up Lela's necklace, his grin growing wider as Lela felt around her neck, "...and we're terribly good pickpockets." Lela just smirked back and held up the drawstring pouch that Jack kept his money in. "You're right," she countered, throwing the pouch at a very surprised Jack. "We are." Jack looked baffled, then suspicious, then his eyes widened as his features took on a look of worried bewilderment. "How did ye get that? That was tied on the inside of me belt..." Lela just kept smiling deviously, and trying not to burst into laughter. Jack narrowed his eyes and he looked around for any other of his belongings as he said, "You _are_ a good pickpocket, ye sneaky little devil..."

Her smile lessened. "Although, I'm not exactly sure that that's a skill to be proud of..." Jack laughed.

"Maybe not, but we are good..." he said grinning madly. "Here," he said as he grabbed Lela's shoulder and turned her around, facing away from him. "I'll put ye necklace back on. If you do it, it'll get stuck in that massive head of hair." Lela's head snapped around and she scowled at Jack. Jack chuckled and shook his head. He pushed Lela's chin back around with his fingertips. "Only kiddin', love, only kiddin'. Now move the mammoth hair!" This time there was only a little growl from Lela as she whipped her hair off her back with a quick toss of the head... and all the hair landed in Jack's face. "That wasn't 'zactly what I meant, darling," came Jack's muffled voice from underneath Lela's hair. Only giggling a "SO sorry", Lela pulled forward, letting all her hair fall off of Jack's face. Then she obediently grasped the bottom of her dark tresses and pulled it over to the side, exposing creamy colored skin on her bare shoulders, made white in the moonlight. 

Jack reached over Lela's shoulders with one end of the necklace in each hand. "Hold up ye hair over here," Jack asked quietly. Lela lifted up her hair on her shoulder and Jack pulled his arm through between her hair and neck. He took a step forward to lean over next to Lela's right cheek. Jack felt her move away slightly. He frowned a little, closing his eyes in frustration for a moment. _I can't do this. I was wrong. Maybe she doesn't..._

Jack fastened (well, tried to...) the necklace with slow movements, as though his hands were moving through mud. _I was wrong, _he thought again. _This isn't fair. _His fingers fiddled with clasp._ I admitted to meself that I...I...love her, and now I can't even...Damn this stupid thing why won't it work?!_ The small metal ring finally slid through the gap of the clasp and the small catch clicked shut. Hesitating to leave such beautiful warm skin, Jack let his fingers drag away as he stepped back...three...two...one...gone. Jack wasn't sure, but he thought he felt her face grow hot right there. Then Jack was about to move away, fearing never to return, when Lela leaned back slightly into Jack's arms. **_Was_**_ I wrong? _He wondered, stepping closer. Lela barely stepped back. _Maybe..._ Jack took one last step forward and closed whatever space was left. _Maybe she does feel the same way. _Jack brought his hand around to Lela's neck and lowered it slightly to the night-colored panther, stalking its unsuspecting prey. _That's probably why it made me think of her, _Jack thought silently as he turned the pendant right side up, exposing its cool green eyes to the nighttime sky. _A beautiful wildcat that enticed me, and pounced when I least suspected it. _He laid the charm carefully against Lela's chest and his forefinger traced her heart in a circle. _She cornered me unknowingly and captured me. _His hand slid down her side to her stomach where he laced his fingers with hers. _And now that she's caught me, I'll never be able to leave her. _

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_Insult my hair will you?_ Lela thought deviously. _I'll show you. _She flipped her hair onto Jack's face, hoping to whip it enough to sting. "That wasn't 'zactly what I meant, darling," Jack said, almost unintelligible because his face was concealed by long black hair. "SO sorry, Jack" Lela giggled, as she grasped her hair and pulled it away from her shoulders, making sure to get every strand. "Hold up ye hair over here." Lela was barely listening any more but she abided the command. Weaving his arm through, Jack brought his hands 'round back to Lela's neck as he tried to fasten the necklace. She liked it when he was close by. He was her best friend; he always had been since they were little kids and... Jack leaned over her shoulder and was right next to her cheek. _Ah, his face is warm. I hope he leans in more...HUH?! _She almost flinched, but ended up just leaning away slightly. _Where did that come from??!! _She glanced backwards at Jack's retreating face. She wasn't sure, but she thought that Jack may have looked a little... disappointed. He moved away more and again tried to clip the ends of the necklace together. She heard Jack swear a little as he tried to figure out how to fasten the darn thing. _Why did I move?_ She wondered. _I want him to be close to me. I feel so...safe._

As she finally heard a little _click_ from the necklace's clasp, she felt her face burning as she felt roughly soft fingers (_Is it possible for his hands to have so lovely a feeling...?_) hindering down away from her neck, trailing fire on ice-cold skin. She counted as they left. Three...two...one...no more. _No,_ she thought, _I...I...want him back._ Her eyes shut as realization filled her mind and cleared away doubt and fear. _I don't want him to ever leave me. _It erased everything else in her mind but the one thing she wanted: Jack. _I love him._

She stepped back slightly, hoping that he wasn't gone for good. She stood, waiting for what seemed like an eternity, when in fact it was less than a second. She heard Jack step forward slightly. _He's not gone for good_, she thought hopefully as she took another tiny step back. Again, he came closer, eliminating the remaining space between them. Lela's heart leapt for joy. _I don't know **what** I'm thinking but..._ Jack reached over her shoulder and stretched out to the necklace. _He **must** care about me, _thought Lela. _He wouldn't have given me that necklace if he didn't... _Jack took hold of the stalking black panther and turned it face up. _But maybe..._ Lela's wishes began to sink. _Maybe he doesn't...love me...the way I love him..._ Lela bit back unshed tears, refusing to cry in front of Jack. If he didn't...if he...then she wouldn't let him ever know. Ever.

She glimpsed down at Jack's hand. He delicately placed against Lela's chest, directly over her heart, and the sparkling chartreuse eyes of the cunning jungle cat stared out at the situation before it. Lela felt Jack's forefinger circle over her heart, but it felt like he was stirring and waking her soul in a great vat of mixed emotions. Every tiny ministration was noted. Once. Twice. Three times, the digit lingered, and then was slowly, hesitantly removed. Lela was about to say something (_What **was** I going to say...?_) when she felt Jack's hand slide down her waist and gently grip her hand. Lela intertwined her fingers with his and smiled. _I was going to say something to him, _she held his hand tighter, _but it doesn't really matter does it? _She saw something out of the corner of her eye. Jack had leaned over her right shoulder and was looking out at the sea. _No, _she thought happily. _Nothing else matters. _She gazed out at the water along with Jack. _I can't ever leave him._   

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**A/N: **Oh cry! Oh sob! Oh goodness me! sniff It's sooooo cute, yes? BUT!!! Will their happiness last?!?! Of course not. But you'll have to find out later. I'm glad I got two chapters done. Now I must finish writing #3. Please tell me what you think! I promise to make later ones longer. Bye-bye!

    Love

~*kitty*~

  =^.^=


	3. Chapter 3

I Can't Ever Leave You 

By Kitty =^.^=

**Category: **Pirates of the Caribbean

**Genre: **Romance/Action Adventure/Angst/Humour

**Summary: **Jack meets up with a childhood friend. And, wait... She's a pirate too? A pirate CAPTAIN? With her own fleet?! And now she's going to try and catch up with the Black Pearl. Interesting name for a ship when her name happens to be... well, anyway... "We're going to pay Jack Sparrow a little visit, savvy?" Then Jack remembers how he felt about her and why he had to leave her. (This is sometimes an introspective look at Jack's past.)   

**A/N: **Yay! Another chapter on a story! I'm so proud of myself. I've rarely kept up with a story for three chapters. u_u; I know, pathetic, isn't it? Oh, well, the point is I've got more done! Now some of you think that Jack is being a "scared little teenage boy" glares icily at the Lizard but I can understand this. It's exactly my point! Jack can't have always been a tough, gruff pirate; he was once just a regular guy (apart from the fact that he's dead sexy and more attractive than any other guy in that time period...) I know some of you are a little disappointed about him not being himself. But if you had been paying attention in the first chapter, you would've seen that we catch glimpses of the Jack we know and love desperately. Don't worry; he shall become more like his later self soon! But as I said in the last A/N, will their happiness last?!  o_O* You don't know do you??!! So you must read to find out, mwa HA! ........................ Don't try and understand how I think. taps head You try and figure out what's goin' on up there, you'll go nuts trying to comprehend it. Now onto the story!! skips off merrily to the computer La la, lalalaaa...  

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Lela looked out at the horizon; the single thread where sea and sky met. Right now, the night made it look like they were two skies, where the stars of one reflected off the other, making even more billions of diamond stars. She felt as though she were out in space, looking out at the endless void that was the universe. She couldn't breathe. Maybe it was because she was envisioning being out in space. Or maybe it was because of whose arms she was in. She smiled. _My guess is the latter. _She simply couldn't believe this. They had been friends all their lives, always playing, always fighting. And now she was putty in his hands. She had simply melted when he had taken her hand. 

Lela frowned. _Me? Melt? Because of _Jack_?! That is **not** how I'm going to let it go..._ Lela glanced slightly to the side. Jack was just staring out at the sea. Lela's frown deepened. _I'm not giving in so easily, Jack. _The corners of Lela's mouth twitched. _Not without a fight, I'm not. _Her mouth begged to be able to smile, and Lela denied the plea. _We'll see who's putty is whose hands, darling. _It was painful to not smile and giggle and laugh and scream, but Lela kept a straight face. _Let's see exactly what Mr. Sparrow thinks. _

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Jack couldn't think straight. _What the **hell**__is going on?! _He wondered, as his gaze drifted out over the water. _I cannot be thinkin' like this, it's just not me. All lovey dovey and such... _A scent caught Jack's attention. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, taking in the perfumed smell of... _Strawberries 'n cream...delicious... _Jack's eyes shot open. _What is that? _He glanced to the side. _Ah. Lela's hair. _If he weren't so loathe to letting go of Lela's hand, he would've slapped himself in the head. _I am **so** whipped by the girl. It's **most** unbecoming... _As Jack continued to worry about the situation, he heard Lela speak.

"Jack?" she murmured dreamily.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think people will remember us?" 

Jack must've looked confused, for Lela continued in a seemingly unimportant question.

"Look at the sea. It'll be here long after we're gone, and everyone'll know 'bout it. What about us?"

Jack brought a hand up from Lela's waist and held a finger to her chin in a delicate manner. "Of course people will," he said as-a-matter-of-factly. "We're gonna be pirates, 'member? The greatest ever." Jack let the finger trace her cheekbone and he tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "Everyone will know our names. Now and always." Jack closed his hand around hers once more. "The pirates of the Caribbean..."

Jack couldn't see it, but Lela grinned deviously, delighted that her plan was working perfectly. "Ah, yes. Captain Lela, and her first mate Jack Sparrow." 

"Yeah...hang on, **_what_**?!" Jack spun Lela around so fast it made her hair fan out behind her. "Whaddya mean _Captain_ Lela, and _first mate _Jack Sparrow?!" Lela shrugged as much as she could with Jack's hands squeezing her shoulders. "I meant e'zactly wha' I said," Lela replied nonchalantly. "I'm going to be Captain, of course. You couldn't handle the responsibility." Jack was not about to take this lying down.

"Excuse me, love, but I think you mean Captain _Jack Sparrow_." He grinned, as a wicked sentence entered his head, that he was sure would make Lela infuriated. "You can be the servin' wench," he said shrugging, and he walked past an open-mouthed Lela down towards the beach. 

"_Servin' **wench**?!?!?!_" she shouted, leaving Jack smiling as  he continued to walk, as though unaffected. 

"Yeah, s'right!" he called over his shoulder. He neared the rough sand and kicked a few rocks out into the shallow pools that had collected on the beach during high tide. Suddenly, Jack heard the footsteps of Lela running towards him. _Ah, _he thought smiling, still unsuspectingly walking towards the water, _here she comes ready to cry and argue that she's not a wench._ As it happened, Jack was right...about one thing. Lela _did _want to argue that she was not a wench, but...

"You jerk, I'll kill ya!!" Jack was surprised at the screeched death threat that came from Lela, but he was even more surprised when he got a mouthful of salt water and sand as he collided with the wet sea. Lela stood behind Jack whose face was stuck in the waves, with his arms thrashing about and his rump stuck in the air. "Mmm-hmm," she grunted smartly. She brushed her hands and puffed the front of her white shirt. (A/N: Think of Zipporah in **The Prince of Egypt** when she lets Moses fall down the well. "And that's why Papa says she'll never get married...")

As Jack came up from the water's edge, sputtering and swaggering as though he were drunk, Lela burst into hysterical laughter. "Oh, **_god_**, Jack! That was brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Heh haaa hahaha ahaaa!!" She clutched her sides, not noticing that Jack was nearing her. "I mean, oh hoho hhah hahahaa, you-you really _should_ see the look on your face, it--" Giggles and laughs and snickers and guffaws drowned out any other words, but Jack still came closer. Lela opened her eyes and her uproarious laughter trailed down to just uneven breathing. Jack stood before her, almost impossibly close without actually touching her, his black shirt partially open and thoroughly soaked, making it stick to his skin. His untamed hair hung down across his face and framed his defined cheekbones and gunmetal bronze eyes. Lela saw him; he looked as dominating and powerful and compelling as ever. She was almost...frightened...of how fierce he looked, not to mention... _Handsome??_

Jack placed one damp finger under Lela's chin and tilted her head upwards so that she was looking him dead in the face. "Lela," he began quietly, but in an intimidating tone. "We've been friends eva since we was litt'ul." Lela's shocked, confused countenance was brought closer by Jack's hand to his own face. "Whatuhya you think of me?" _I'm tired of beatin' around the bush, _he thought, _I have to know or else I'll go stark ravin' mad!!_

"We-... Well, J-Jack," she started clumsily, "We _have _been friends..." she tried to collect herself, "fo-...for a long while now, s'true..." Her mind raced. _What should I say?! _"And... as to what I think of ye... you're me friend..." Jack's heart sank slightly... "I mean, we be _more _than just friends..." And it rose right back up. "We be, like..._best _friends... I mean..." And straight back down again. Jack shook his head, getting more and more frustrated with each stuttered sentence she uttered. 

"But is that _all_ we is and'll eva be?" he asked his voice growing quieter, and even more frustrated. Lela began to get more nervous.

"We-...I s-suppose, Jack, that we'll always be friends but..." 

Jack leaned forward, lightly brushing his lips against hers. Lela's eyes widened, and Jack pressed his lips once more to hers. "But this's good too..." Lela mumbled, reciprocating the force against her mouth. Jack wrapped one hand around Lela's waist and the other tangled itself in her hair. Lela's arms slipped around Jack's neck as the two (Author'n'Audience: FINALLY!!) shared a tender, ardent kiss._ Maybe there is somethin' to this love nonsense... _thought Jack, savoring the feel of Lela's silken lips on his. _Perhaps it ain't so bad to be 'putty in Jack's hands'... _thought Lela, as she brushed away two twisted dreadlocks away from Jack's face. She pulled away slowly and her eyes drifted open. Jack, feeling Lela draw away, opened his eyes and looked at her. She was smiling. 

"What's so funny, love?" he asked grinning slightly. 

With a small chuckle, Lela answered, "I was just thinking; you must be a pirate." 

"Why's that, darlin'?" Jack inquired, mumbling, as he nuzzled the side of her neck.

"Your lips taste of the sea," she giggled softly, "and of rum."

Jack's eyes shot open and his head raised level with Lela's with a bewildered look upon his features. Then, he laughed. _I certainly have the wittiest girl in all the Caribbean, _he thought still laughing, and bringing Lela closer to him in a tight embrace, _and I've got 'er all to meself!_

*

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"Yeah, s'right," Jack murmured softly in his sleep. "My Lela is the best girl in all the _world_." 

He chuckled delicately as his eyes glided open. 

They started to shut again, but then reality, once more like those 7 years ago, took its toll and shoved Jack back into the real world. 

The captain of the Black Pearl sat up in his bed, in the captain's chambers aboard the majestic ship, _not _in the grassy knoll of a little Irish town. 

Jack looked down at his hand when he felt the smooth feel of glass against it. He glared at it, now hateful of the one thing that always took him where he wanted to be, but then snatched it away again. The slurred British accent mixed with a hint of Irish snarled a swear. "God-damn rum..." 

TBC!!!

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**A/N: **AH!! They finally kissed!! Man, that's been buggin' me for a while... But wait, '7 years ago'?? What's this?! Hmmm... what do you think? Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Confusions? All are welcome in reviews! Except flames a.k.a. pointless criticism. I want constructive criticism, the kind that makes the story better! I want to know what you think, please. What would you like to see happen? Any suggestions on further plot line should be e-mailed to me please. If I choose to use any, I'd like to keep it a surprise to everyone. (I know; oh, the strange, twisted soul that I am...) Also, anyone wanna be in the story? Apart from you guys! Libby, Kate, you can**_not_** have Jack Sparrow. He belongs to Lela so get over it!! However, I am the author so I am welcomed to him... Aaaagh!! Stop the hitting, stop the hitting!! Okay you guys, it's 4 AM on Sunday night (or Monday morning, however you look at it...) and I be tired so I gotta go upstairs and get some sleep!!

Until the next time, dear readers...

    Love,

~*kitty*~

  =^.^=

PS

I also uploaded another chapter to the X-Men fic I'm coauthoring with the Silver Siren of Circe. **You're the Only One**. little Punjabi man Please go read it, eet ees berry, berry good! the kitty again... Ok, I be off mates!


	4. Chapter 4

I Can't Ever Leave You 

By Kitty =^.^=

**Category: **Pirates of the Caribbean

**Genre: **Romance/Action Adventure/Angst/Humour

**Summary: **Jack meets up with a childhood friend. And, wait... She's a pirate too? A pirate CAPTAIN? With her own fleet?! And now she's going to try and catch up with the Black Pearl. Interesting name for a ship when her name happens to be... well, anyway... "We're going to pay Jack Sparrow a little visit, savvy?" Then Jack remembers how he felt about her and why he had to leave her. (This is sometimes an introspective look at Jack's past.)   

**A/N: **Ah, another day, another set of _dumbfounded _readers. _Excellent! _Ok, 'nuff-uh-at!! o_O* 'Tis new chapter!!  Review of last time: Jack and Lela are both trying to be crafty and find out if the other likes them. -_-; stupid kids, just ASK!! Fortunately Jack can't take it anymore and basically asks Lela straight out. Then (yay!) they kiss. But then... Bum bum **_bum_**!! Jack _wakes up _and I say something about _7 years ago_...

THE APRIL FOOL: What's up with that?! rim shot 

You don't know do you??!! So you must read to find out, mwa HA! ........................ Don't try and understand how I think. taps head You try and figure out what's goin' on up there, you'll go nuts trying to comprehend it. Now onto the story!! skips off merrily to the computer La la, lalalaaa...  

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With an audible growl, Jack tossed the rum bottle onto the wooden floor. _Clank_, and it rolled along the ground, spinning toward the wall of the cabin as the ship swayed on the sea. Jack panted heavily as he swiped a hand across his forehead, the beads of sweat gathering to the back of his hand. He looked around, and quickly regretted it as his head swam with ache and disorientation. What had gotten him to start drinking so much? "And where the hell are we?" he muttered. 

Throwing back the warm covers that covered his bed Jack shivered as he felt the cool night air rush over his exposed skin and shakily walked over to the window, zigzagging across the floor. In the back of his mind, Jack thought he heard someone call his name but shrugged it off as the rum making him hallucinate. He threw open the shutter and stuck his head out. Salty air met his nose and the spray of seawater from below cleared his head a little. Raising his eyes, Jack glanced to his right and saw lights and shabby houses. He could smell the bitter stench of alcohol and smoke and filth. 

"Tortuga," he said to himself, rolling his eyes and leaning back inside his cabin. Shaking his head he turned around to go back to bed. But instead he got a little surprise (and when I say 'little' I mean he about had a heart attack...) Instead of finding an inviting down feather cot with warm sheets to snuggle back into on a cold night, Jack instead found...

A Tortuga whore.

(Quick A/N: **./` **Guess who's baaa-ack? **./`** A lot of what she says is phonetically written; it's not that I forgot to do Spell Check...)

"Oh! yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn 'ello Jackie love!" 

Jack shakily leaned back as his hands waved about in front of his face and his eyes went wide. Then, regaining some (note the word 'some') composure, Jack stood as straight as he could--being drunk and all--and held his hands out wide in a seemingly warm gesture. 

"Scarlet!" he exclaimed and forced a small laugh. "Long time no see! I's been, what? A year or two?" 

Scarlet scrunched her forehead as one extremely thin eyebrow rose up. "Jackie, darlin', what-ya mean 'two 'er fthree years'? I just found ya last night!" Now it was Jack's turn to furrow his brow and have a delicately curved eyebrow (A/N: Sorry, couldn't resist that! ^_^) shoot up. He drew his lips together, making defined cheekbones all the more noticeable, as he turned his head slightly sideways and looked suspiciously at Scarlet. 

"Last...last night?" he asked, skeptically. Scarlet let out an obviously strained giggle. She got up off the bed, taking the black Egyptian cotton sheets with her. 

"Jackie, you don'member?" Scarlet strolled over to Jack who was backing up against the window, excessively swaying her hips. "You walked into the tavern," she said slowly, "and I saw you." 

Jack nervously stumbled back against the wooden walls as Scarlet continued her assault. 

Grinning seductively, she continued recounting the night's events. "Ev'eyone was talkin' and flockin' 'round ya, so it wasn't until you 'ad 'ad fthree bott-als-o-roum that I meself got to ya." 

Raising herself on tip-toe, Scarlet pressed herself against Jack and trailed her forefinger across his lower lip, all the while smiling wickedly, her over-painted red lips slightly parted, exposing pale yellow teeth. 

"By then, ye wous so tipsy I too'it 'pon myself to tike ya back to da ship. And by the time we _got _'ere..." Scarlet squashed Jack even more into the wall with her enormous bosom, "Well," she giggled, "le's just sie tha' I made ya a offer ye could'n refuse." 

Before Jack could react, the whore had wrapped her arms around his neck. 

Luckily, just as she was about to mash her lips into his, Jack ducked under her arm and raced forward for the door, causing Scarlet to open her eyes wide in surprise and topple through the open window, the jet sheets streaming out behind her as she screamed and fell into the water with a splash.

Jack stopped with a halt as heard something crash into the sea outside his window. His eyes grew large as they slowly looked to as far left as they could before Jack turned his head. He put his other foot down and stood straight. Turning around he strode over to the window and stuck his head out. Down below, a very soggy Scarlet splashed about trying to keep the sheets around her and not drown. She gurgled and sputtered and yelped and sobbed as her black eyeliner trailed down her cheeks in runny, messy torrents. Jack looked sympathetic for a moment. 

Then he tilted his head slightly to the right, drawing his lips down and his eyes looking away as if to say, "Oh well." Scarlet yelled Jack's name and tried to swim to the side of the Black Pearl. Jack stuck his head out once more. "Yes?"

"Cou-" cough, cough, "could I at _least_ 'ave my-" splash, splash, "ah! My clothes?!" 

"Possibly," Jack said, as though he was pondering what to do. "Could I at least have my sheets back?" _Slap!_ Jack's head whipped back as his sopping black sheets smacked into his face. "I didn't deserve that," he muttered tilting his head in the same "oh well" manner. 

While Jack gathered his sheets inside, Scarlet slightly regretted having thrown her only means of cover at Jack's face and clung to the ship's hull as best she could. Sticking her lip out in a baby's pout, she slapped the water. However, she soon regretted that too, for she slipped off the side of the ship and went under the water for a few moments before she grappled onto the side again. She lifted her head and shouted, "_WELL?!_" Her dress floated down and flopped onto her head, creating a tent for the clown with dripping makeup. "_Well!_" she shouted huffily, and she threw the dress off her head. "I 'ave never!" 

"And now you have, love!" Jack shouted from his window, and then it sharply shut.

Scarlet gathered her skirt in front of her, her legs floundering through the water. "Didn't even fthrow da'n me knickers!" she grumbled. She heard the creak of the window swinging open. Said knickers dropped onto her head as well.

Sticking her lip out, Scarlet swam shakily to shore and walked up onto the dirty black sand, dripping as she threw her dress over her head and stepped into her knickers. She was sad that Jack had basically kicked her out and was sure that her night was completely ruined, but she soon heard a whistle and looked up to see a rather shady man leaning against the wall of an old brick building. 

He nodded his head toward the sign above his head: L'Hôtel Perdu d'Amant. Scarlet smiled deviously and sauntered over to the door of the lodge. Simply walking straight past the man, not looking at him and without even stopping, she held out her left hand which she quickly closed over £3 ha'pence. Perhaps the rest of the night would not be so miserable...

≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ 

Back on the Black Pearl...

Jack was seemingly calmly spreading his drenched sheets onto the intricately carved table in the middle of the room. 

He worked slowly, stiffly, spreading each corner carefully over to the edge of the table. 

His face was still and rigid as he pressed the water out from the sheets and onto the ground beneath his feet. 

When it was completely flat against the thick wooden board, he stood straight for several minutes, his eyes fixed on the drying fabric. 

And then...

"RRRAAAAAGGGHH!!" 

The table was flipped, the chairs overturned, and papers pushed off the desk. Maps fluttered to the floor, forgotten. The once-perfectly flat black sheets crumpled upon the wooden planks. Knick-knacks and ornaments clattered to the ground, their beauty and shine no longer able to distract.

Jack was on the ground, on hands and knees, his breathing heavy, eyes blazing. The twisted, braided locks of hair fell around his sweaty face like a fringed curtain. _Scarlet, _he thought. _Of **all** people, why Scarlet?! _Jack let out another roaring, frustrated yell and pounded the wooden floor with his fist. After a moment, he realized his breath was held and he exhaled a shaky, heavy sigh, and closed his eyes tightly.

Getting up off the ground, Jack brushed off his loose britches and trudged back over to his bed. He stopped at the footboard and grasped his white poet shirt, brown cloth vest, and smooth, worn leather waistcoat. Untying his "effects" and belt from the jacket, he lay that down on his bed and slipped his shirt over his head. Then his arms glided through the vest and propped up his pillow. Jack lay down slowly, and, pulling his coat up around him, his lips let loose a small sob. But would Jack actually cry? No, of course not, so as his lips curved into a half-sneer, his mind raced to the previous evening when the Pearl had pulled into Tortuga and then later, when he entered the Serum Pub.

TBC!!!

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**A/N: **M'k, so now Jack is more like himself in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. _Happy now, you ungrateful little wretches??!! _calming down Ahem. Sorry... Preview of next time: Jack has a FLASHBACK of... well, "the previous evening when the Pearl had pulled into Tortuga and the later, when he entered the Serum Pub." I had sort of wanted to stick the FLASHBACK on the end of this chapter, but instead I cut'n'paste what I had at the end here, and put it into Chapter 5 (Coming Soon...) 

Also, one last _tiny _note: I've gotten a couple of e-mailed reviews from people that were--oh how shall one say?--less than friendly. These PWSNBN (People-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named) have said that I was too descriptive on the last bit of Chapter 3 when Jack and Lela kissed. Not you Mary the Stranger, ^_^ your review wasn't one of them. All you said was "is there going to be any lemon? Lime I can deal with but not lemon." I can totally live with that. But I got a couple of flamey e-mails that I _did **not **like_. They were quite rude and uncalled for, some speaking of the above, and some just saying that the story "sucked ass". What the _hell_ does that mean? If you want the story to be better, _tell me _what can be better and specifically what "sucked ass." Until then, here's what I have to say to all those PWSNBN:   

If ya don't like mah cookin',

Please don't start bitchin',

Step away and stop lookin',

And get outta mah kitchen!

Okay? Good. Ta!

    Love,

~*kitty*~

  =^.^=

PS

I also uploaded another chapter to the X-Men fic I'm coauthoring with the Silver Siren of Circe. **You're the Only One**. little Punjabi man Please go read it, eet ees berry, berry good! the kitty again... Ok, I be off mates!


	5. Chapter 5

I Can't Ever Leave You 

By Kitty =^.^=

**Category: **Pirates of the Caribbean

**Genre: **Romance/Action Adventure/Angst/Humour

**A/N: **Ah, another day, another set of _dumbfounded _readers. _Excellent! _Ok, 'nuff-uh-at!! o_O* 'Tis new chapter!!  Review of last time: Jack has woken up from his dream about him and Lela and gets up to clear his head. We can all see that he's very drunk. He looks out the window and sees they're in Tortuga. Then gasp he turns around to see Scarlet in his bed!!

THE APRIL FOOL: What's up with that?! rim shot 

I dunno... she retells what happened the previous night and ends up falling out the window. (Heh heh heeeeehhhh...) Then Jack basically tears up his room, angry for getting so shit-faced drunk. As he calms down, he starts to remember what happened. But I ended the chapter before we could read the FLASHBACK. What happened??

You don't know do you??!! So you must read to find out, mwa HA! 

I'm sorry this isn't as great a chapter as some of the others. I'm having a bit of a--

ERIC: **_DUN DUN DUUUNNNN!!!_**

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WRITER'S BLOCK and--

ERIC: **_DUNDUN DUUUNNN!!_**

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EVIL GLARE from =^.^=

ERIC: ...dun dun...

Thank you. As I was saying, it's not as good as some of the others, but I've been kinda letting it drag out so I might as well just post this and get on to the important stuff. 

Also, I am SOOO sorry everyone! It's taken me for-bloody-_evuh_ to get Chapter 5 posted. I just spent a week in Disney World and I'm gettin' stressed about school stuff so please forgive me??!! puppy dog eyes with tears PLEASE?! The kitty feels sooo bad! She loves you all sooo much!! normal--crazy--face  

Now onto the story!! skips off merrily to the computer La la, lalalaaa...  

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~*FLASHBACK*~

Jack stood at the head of the ship, _his_ Pearl, steering a course he had no intention of making. He simply stood there, as though there was nothing in life that was really worth staying and living for. "Stop that," he said aloud to himself. "You know where thinking like _that _leads..." 

"Ye know, talkin' to yerself is said to be the first sign of insanity, Jack."

Jack whirled around, taking the wheel with him. The ship lurched to the left before Jack turned back and straightened it out. 

Mr. Gibbs clung to the side of the ship, almost completely horizontal, leaning with his arms and his legs straight to the side. In one swift push, he heaved himself up and wobbled a bit before coming to a steady upright position. 

Jack was very aware that Gibbs had heard what he had said, and that he should just admit it before his first mate caught him in the same clever trap he always did... say this very quickly like it's all one word but-was-Jack-about-to-admit-that-?-oooooooooof-**_COURSE_**-_NOT_!!

"I wasn't talkin' to meself, Gibbs," Jack said nonchalantly. Gibbs' mouth curved down in a scowl.

"And denial is the second," he retorted, smiling slightly at the small pleasure of knowing that he had been right.

Jack shrugged and didn't turn around. "Maybe I am insane," he said, completely overemphasising inattention. _Just please don't ask what's wrong! S'all I ask!!_

"Jack, what's wrong?" 

_Damn._

"You're acting rather, uh, troubled," Gibbs continued. Jack stared out at the sea stretched before him. He should just tell Gibbs and get it over with. He would find out anyway if he just kept talking...

"I'm not troubled." Stupid. "There's nothing wrong, I'm just...tired..." Double-stupid. Gibbs just shook his head and walked over to Jack, standing in front of him and the wheel so Jack would have to look at him.

"Jack, just so's ya know," he said shaking his head, and _thwap!_ on Jack's head, "you're a terrible liar." 

As Jack rubbed the bump on his head, cringing at the twinge of pain, he looked down, knowing full well where this was all going. 

"Jack, what're thinkin' about? Ye can't steer the god-damned ship and take charge of the crew if ya be off in dreamland." Gibbs popped Jack under the chin, and looked at him as though he was an angry father glaring at his disobedient son who wasn't telling the truth. "Tell me." It wasn't a question. If Jack didn't answer soon, he knew Gibbs would probably throw him overboard. He may have been just the first mate, but Jack knew that his old friend wouldn't hesitate to treat him like his own kid. Which was what Jack was afraid of. Sighing heavily, Jack resolved to tell Gibbs the truth. Well, the truth as in...

"I'm worried, 'cause, uh, I don't 'ave a weddin' present to give Will'n'Liz'abeth next time I go 'round to Port Royal." _Thwack!!_ "AGH! Not so hard mate!!" Jack looked up and saw Gibbs looking at him with sternly. He wasn't going to leave Jack alone until he knew what was going on. "What?!" Jack screamed angrily. "Why do you want to know?!" 

Gibbs' face softened a bit as he said, "Cap'n, we all know when somethin's botherin' ya. Ya best tell me now 'fore any of the other crew sees ya. They won't be as kind to a forlorn cap'n as Oi will be." Gibbs could see Jack thinking it over. He raised his hand in warning...

"All right, all right!!" Jack screamed bringing one hand up to his face to shield against an attack. "Just don't hit the face!" Putting both hands back on the wheel, he stared out into the ocean. Damn, he was acting like such a pansy. He _hated _acting like such a pansy. For God's sake, he was Captain Jack Sparrow!! Why did today have to be _today_, when he _knew _he would think about what _today _was. And why did Gibbs have to bring it up?! Not wanting to create any more lumps for himself than necessary, Jack gave in to Gibbs' request. "All right, fine," he muttered with soft anger. "I'll tell ye, but you're not to say one word about it, to me, the crew, any soul, livin' or dead, _evah_ again, do we 'ave an accord?" Jack brought his right hand up from the wooden post it had gripped. Gibbs took it and clutched it hard.

"Oi swear on me life, Cap'n," Gibbs pledged seriously, "on me very life."

Returning the handshake, Jack pulled his hand back down to the wheel. He looked out at the ocean, stretching before him, and dreaded what he was going to say to Gibbs what he had told no one in 7 years.

"Do you know where I be coming from, Gibbs?" he began, "Before I e'er had the Black Pearl." Gibbs squinted his eyes, wondering what Jack was going to tell him.

"Nay, Cap'n," Gibbs answered honestly. "Oi never really wondered about it."

"Well, before comin' over to the Caribbean, I lived in a tiny stitch of land on the border of Ireland and England. The town of Sleego." Jack continued to look at sea, his face slowly becoming an unreadable mask. "I was 17 when I got the Black Pearl and I left lit'ul Sleego, and headed South for the Caribbean." A tiny smile broke through the mask momentarily but it was quickly pushed aside again. "But before I got the Pearl, before I even thought 'bout becomin' a pirate, I lived with me mother'n'father in the countryside near Sleego until I was about 16. When I turned 16 I, uh, lived in town to be an apprentice." Gibbs didn't miss the slight tone of embarrassment in Jack's voice. And just as the Captain was about to go on...

"What was ye an apprentice for?" Gibbs asked slyly. Jack gulped, disappointed that he couldn't have just skipped over that detail.

"I was protégé to a, uh, to a..." Jack looked down, as if in shame that he, the greatest pirate in the entire world, was pupil to, "a dressmaker..."

Gibbs stood silent for a moment, his eyes wide as saucers. And then...

"PWAAAAAA ha ha ha ha haaaa!!" 

Well, then he laughed. 

"Neh HA hahahaa hahaaa haaaa!!" 

A lot. 

"COR!! Tha's the, HA ha ha haahahaaaa!! Funniest--! MmmHAAA hahaha!!"

A lot, a lot. 

"Thing--! Teh HAAh heheheeeehh HAHAHaaaaa!! I e'er her' in me life!! Te-tell me, Jack, did ye make cute little dresses for the wee lasses of the town? Oh, oh! And perhaps a weddin' dress!! Haaahahuhhaa!" 

Gibbs laughed heavily for another minute and then began to slow down to just heavy breathing. The rugged round pirate's face was red and he wiped a tear from his eye. "Sorry, Jack," Gibbs said, slightly regretful, "It wer'n that funny. It's just that, well, ya gotta admit, that no one, not even _me_ can see you as some sort-a tailor."

Jack glared with spite at Gibbs as he tried to calm himself down. "Right then, if we can _please _just forget about that lit'ul tidbit of information," Jack continued in a solemn tone, "do you want to know why I'm like this today, or shall I just toss ye overboard? Sound good, Gibbs?" 

The first mate's face was grave as stone. 

"Good," Jack said firmly. Leaning slightly closer, Gibbs tilted to hear the rest of Jack's story. 

"Well, all this while when I was living in Sleego, I had a friend by the name of Bretchkap," said Jack, resuming the tale, "Lela Bretchkap. Our parents was friends, they were, and we'd known each other since was babes." 

Jack stopped momentarily and looked at Gibbs. "What's the funny look for?" Gibbs shook his head and mumbled that it was nothing and to keep going. Raising an eyebrow, Jack turned forward again. "We basically grew up together. We was inseparable, an' we always did ev'eyfthing togefther. We played and went tur school and," Jack chuckled warmly at the memory, "completely whooped all the other kiddies in the school'ouse in football." A/N: And for the ignorant people reading, we're talking English football, NOT American football. Think of this game as something like soccer, but not quite like it, it's the 17th century after all! 

"When I moved into the actual town of Sleego for my, uh, apprenticeship, she came to visit every day and once a week she'd usually bring me a lit'ul somefthing, like cake or biscuits. Now, being two years older than 'er, I always said I was the smart one. But," Jack shook his head with a wry smile, "she was def'nly smarter 'an me. She'd help me around the shop when I'd forgotten to do somefthing so's the head tailor wouldn't be apt to wallop me with the fire irons." With every second Jack's smile grew. 

"It seemed like we became closer than ever each time we met up. She was me best friend in the whole world. Well, eventually, when she and I got older, I..." The delighted smile on Jack's face was replaced by one of slight embarrassment. "Well, I started to feel for 'er, as more than a friend..." 

He looked up to see how Gibbs was taking this. And Jack's forehead furrowed and he asked irritably, "WHAT are you looking at me like that for?" Gibbs began to mumble again and Jack stopped him. "Look, I know some o'these thin's may hard to believe, but _you're _the one who wanted me to tell." 

When receiving no comment from his first mate, Jack looked down and sighed. "I know, I know. Jack Sparrow, _fallin' in love _with 'is best friend. Never thought you'd hear that, did ya Gibbs?" Silence. Jack shook his head and his eyes looked out into blank space. 

"On Lela's 14th birthday, I gave 'er a necklace, the most beautiful thing next to 'er I'd evuh seen. I spent weeks tryin' to figure out how to get it." At and inquisitive look from Gibbs, Jack explained a little more clearly. "I had seen it in an exhibit that had come from Singapore and was travelin' to the Caribbean next. I had to get it, so I formulated a plan so as to, uh, commandeer it from the owner." 

The expressionless mask that had enclosed Jack's face was fleetingly lifted and a small grin of pride broke through. 

"I stowed away on the owner's ship the night before its departure and waited for an hour till 'ee was asleep so I could get the necklace from its case in 'is desk." 

Jack's tan hands turned the wheel to the left. 

"Unfortunately that's as far as me luck held." 

And then to the right. 

"I bumped into the table, the blighter woke up, his dogs chased me, the crew fired their bloody pistols at me." 

The wheel was centered. 

"And _fortunately _I was able to get away with me life. I jumped off the deck and into the water, and climbed up one of the wooden columns that held up the dock. After that I ran like the devil was after me, and ran to a field near Sleego called Jade Meadow. That's where Lela 'un me always met when we had time. She was, of course, very impatient and by the time I got there she was about ready to run me 'ead into the ground. We both knew it was all in good fun that we threatened to kill each other, naturally. And once she saw the necklace... I could've lived off the look of wonderment in her eyes forevuh..." Jack began to slip back into the memory of that night seven years ago.

"She loved black pearls..." he murmured. "That's why I wanted that necklace so badly. It was a string of perfect black pearls, with two teardrop shaped ones on either side of the charm in the center. It was..." Jack could see in his mind the amulet in Lela's hand. "T'was a black diamond cut expertly into the shape of a hunting panther with two brilliant green emeralds for its eyes." And Jack could just picture her fingers tenderly skimming the surface, as though afraid it was going to vanish. 

"I kept dazin' off lookin' at 'er, and eventually she caught me. Well, of course I didn't want her to catch on, so I tugged on her hair to distract her. And it sort of worked, it's just that she pushed me onto the ground." 

Jack looked over to Gibbs to see what his reaction was. Gibbs looked like he was a little boy thoroughly engrossed in a wonderful adventure story told by a wise old sage, and, seeing that Jack had stopped, he prodded, "Well? What happened? C'mon, Jack, don't let's leave me 'angin' in suspense!" Jack's eyes widened a little, but he was smiling. _Well, at least he isn't making fun,_ thought Jack, as he cleared his throat to continue.

"We wrestled around for a bit, each tryin' to beat the other up. We got tired eventually and lay down on the grass. It almost seemed like she was going to fall asleep, and like an idiot I just lay there admiring 'er." 

Jack scowled inwardly at himself, but his lips were still fixed into a straight line. 

"I brushed grass out of her hair, and she woke up a little. Before I even knew what she was doing, she smiled and crawled over into my arms." 

A sudden breeze blew back Jack's dreadlocks and the red scarf on his hat. 

"We were all alone that night, and I wanted more than anything to kiss her. At the same time, I didn't want to know her reaction." One of the metal trinkets tied into Jack's hair made a small _cling_, and Jack smiled, revealing two gold teeth. 

"And that's when I decided to become a pirate."

Gibbs, however amazed and absorbed in Jack's story he may have been, became confused. Jack had been in love with some young lass, they had been alone together and he wanted to kiss her. And then he decided to become a pirate... Had he missed something? The two events seemed totally unconnected. "Ye lost me, Jack, somewhere along the way," Gibbs said rather abashedly. Jack turned around, keeping his backside on the wheel to keep it straight, crossed his right boot over his left, and looked down at one hand with a contemplative look. As he began to straighten the two silver skull rings on his right hand, he also began to explain his revelation of a life of piracy.

"I s'pose I didn't really, _actually _decide it right then. I just said to Lela that we was going to become pirates." 

Jack ignored Gibbs' muttered comment that it was bad luck to bring a woman on board a ship. 

"It was all part of me plan to, uh, inadvertently find out how she felt about me." 

Jack raised his right hand and twisted the gunmetal silver ring so that the jade stone faced him, his face (A/N: his **_BEAUTIFUL _**face!!) reflecting on its surface. 

"It didn't exactly work like I planned," he continued sulkily. "She said that _she _was to be captain, and I the first mate. I just retorted that she meant _Captain_ Jack Sparrow--,"

"Well at least I know now why you're always goin' on about bein' called _Captain_," Gibbs said quietly and smiled.

"--and that she could just be the servin' wench," Jack finished. Gibbs eyes grew large and his small grin turned to a frown of worry.

"Servin' wench? Oh, Jack, I hate tuh think what she did to ya after that." 

Jack smiled, slightly chagrined. "Well, when I walked down to the beach, she _did _push me into the water." After letting Gibbs chuckle softly, and giving him a rather stern look, Jack came to the near-end of his story. "After that I was aggravated beyond comprehension, and I was sayin' to meself, 'Bloody 'ell! I'm damned fed up!' I walked right up to 'er (she was laughing! the lit'ul vixen!) and asked her if we'd evuh be more'n mates. She wouldn't...or couldn't, I don't know which...give me a complete answer, and so," Jack murmured softly and distantly, "I kissed 'er." 

Shaking himself out of his fantasy, he looked up to see Gibbs staring at him with disbelief and bewilderment in his eyes. "I know," Jack said turning back to the wheel, "I _know_. Bloody Jack, bloody nance, bloody _hell_! It dunn'n make sense, it dunn'n sound b'lievable, but s'true, mate..."

"Jack," Gibbs interrupted, "now, it sounds tuh me that you pretty well loved this lass o'yours, and don't get me wrong, i's not like **_I_** know anything about that, but," Gibbs faltered for a moment. "But, _why_ are ye here on the Black Pearl, and not back in Ireland with the garl? Er, why isn't she _here _on the Black Pearl with ya?" Jack turned his head back to Gibbs and raised an eyebrow. 

"I thought it'was bad luck to 'ave a woman aboard, mate?" he asked as lightheartedly as he could manage after bloody well spilling his 'weasly black guts' out to his first mate. 

Gibbs shook his head. "Don't change the subject, boy." Even though Jack disliked being called 'boy,' he began to answer Gibbs' question... and **_end _**this conversation.

"We courted for about a year," he said picking up the pace of his words, "and all the while we kept talking about becoming pirates more and more seriously. Finally when I was 17, I got the Pearl." Jack hung his head. "I was so excited to tell Lela. I finally had the ship we'd always wanted, and I ran all round town lookin' for 'er. I searched until dark and then..." Jack's kohl-lined eyes narrowed. "I found 'er." Gibbs glanced worriedly over his shoulder to see if any of the crew was listening, and then turned back to the captain. "Me first mate--a'fore you, Gibbs--came to me in me cabin and nervously told me he'd found Lela." 

Gibbs frowned slightly as Jack's hands gripped the ship's wheel harder making his sooty tanned knuckled white. "I followed him to a rather shady part of town, and into an alley. And there...there..." 

Gibbs could hear only the quiet creaking of the ship for a moment, and then there was Jack's low, threatening, and uneven erratic statement. 

"Lela was...walkin' around to a few men...that was there..." Jack let out a shivering angry sigh. "For...for a while, I just _stood _there. I couldn't believe that it was true, but I knew it was, however much I hated it. I had turned to my side and leaned my head against the wall. I couldn't see what was happenin' but I could 'ear it. I heard hoarse drunken laughs, empty seductive words, the groaning wooden fence, the...the _clink_ of money on the ground, every few minutes..."

Gibbs' eyes filled with discernment and his features softened. When he was about to reassure Jack that it might not have been what it looked like, Jack whispered in a hurt, death-threat tone two words:

"Bloody harlot..."

Taken aback by the anger and near-hatred in Jack's voice, Gibbs backed away two steps. "Cap'n," he said cautiously, "is that why ye left Ireland?"

"Yes," Jack answered simply.

"Beggin' yer pardon, Cap'n, but it might not-tuh been what it looked like." Jack raised his eyes, and, even though his first mate couldn't see them, they were livid with anger and pain. But Gibbs continued. "Also ye must remember Jack, I'm a more trustworthy man'n--"

"WHAT WOULD YOU BLOODY KNOW ABOUT IT?!" screamed Jack, completely letting go of the wheel and whirling around to Gibbs and putting his hand on the handle of his sword. 

Gibbs began to back away, fearing Jack more than his sword. 

"I left for a _damned_ good reason, and there isn't any point on dwelling over somefthing that happened so long ago! Ye said yerself, you _don't_ know about love, so don't go givin' me advice that won't do me any **_FUCKING_** good!!!" 

As if reacting to Jack's echoing words, the sky's darkening became more apparent and black clouds started to roll in. The gulls squawked noisily, as the dangerously low sound of thunder filled the heavens. 

Jack as about to yell some more at Gibbs, but the man in the crow's nest atop the mast of the Black Pearl called out before Jack could get out one word.

"Tortuga ho!" 

And those words began to echo all around Jack, making him turn back to the wheel. 

Gibbs went off with the rest of the men to move the sails and secure the riggings, remembering his oath to Jack that he would keep silent as the grave. 

"Tortuga," Jack muttered under his breath, "that means one good thing at least." A cruel smile played on his lips as he steered the ship towards the Tortuga docks. "Lots and _lots _of rum."

TBC!!!

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**A/N: **BLOODY HELL, that was a looooong chapter! Almost 4,000 words! I s'pose it might as well be, I took so god-damned long to post the flippin' thing. Sorry about that again... Ok, so now we know that Jack was dreaming about his old girlfriend way back when. And, aw!, he misses her! But of course being the stubborn thickey he is, he says that he left for a good reason and there was no point in dwelling on it. whispering _Stupid, stupid, stupid... _next time we'll see what happens at the tavern with Scarlet. What will happen?!?! ............... I dunno. You'll just have to find out next time!! Well... actually, I **_do_** know, I just don't wanna tell ya. ^_^


	6. Chapter 6

I Can't Ever Leave You

By Kitty =^.^= 

**A/N: **Allo allo ev'eyone! Kitty here. twitch Sorry. twitchtwitch V-very _jittery_ from twitch sooo much coffee. And cookies. And twitcheetwitch bonbons. I'm sorry it's been sooo long since I've updated. I wanted to finish chapters 6-10 before the end of the year. I was close, so very close! But there was Christmas and relatives and food and prezzies and then my New Year's Eve party...add finish a few more chapters of my fanfic and I'd be dead right about now. School has started again, and I'm back on the wagon...or is it off the wagon? I dunno... I shall be quicker with updates in these next few weeks. I have all my ideas written down for chapters 7-10, and a little bit of actual writing started on each. But for now here is chapter6, when the Black Pearl docks at Tortuga. Just a note, we're still in Jack's FLASHBACK. We shall continue to present time in the story in chapter 8. Enjoy, and please review! ^_^

Disclaimer: pokes Disney Give me PIRATES!!.…….…….….no?? sigh Nope, still don't own it. sob WHY don't I own it?!?!

**A/N2:** I'm considering having my friend Gloria be my muse, since we adore PotC so much. What do ye think G-Lo? ^_^

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          "Tortuga," Jack muttered under his breath, "that means one good thing at least." A cruel smile played on his lips as he steered the ship towards the Tortuga docks. "Lots and _lots _of rum."

          Shouting out orders to his crew to tie up the ship, Jack listlessly walked down the gangplank and began to walk the dimming streets of Tortuga. Gibbs, tying the ropes of the main sail down, watched Jack walk away in his usual swaying way. He shook his head. "After all that rantin'n'ravin'," the first mate muttered under his breath, "he's gonna head straight for the taverns, drink all night, and won't be back till early mornin'." Gibbs shook his head again, but went on with the work of docking the Black Pearl.

          Back on the island of Tortuga, Jack strolled idly along the dark roads, and breathed in the thick scent of alcohol, smoky food, and heavy women's perfume. Everywhere he looked, Jack saw men sitting on barrels, or sprawled out on balconies. All of them had at least one woman on their arm, and friends and enemies alike around them, all of the drinking merrily. 

"Truly," Jack thought as he half-sighed stepping over an unconscious man lying in the middle of the road, "if every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted." Still looking at the ground, Jack never even saw who was coming his way. "Oof!" Jack fell back and flailed his arms about as his black-lined eyes stretched as his gaze travelled up pale skinny legs, a dirty light blue skirt, a pair of breasts pushed up by a striped indigo cincher, and stopped at a pair of cloudy dark blue eyes that began to blaze in resentment. "Giselle!" Jack shouted in a loud voice that did little to hide his apprehension. Blonde curls fell from the woman's twisted bun and she lunged forward and knocked the pirate to the ground. 

          "So, Jack, where's that red-skir-ded whore now?!" she screeched, slapping his cheek. Jack's head whipped back as Giselle jumped to her feet suddenly. 

"I don't think I deserved that," he said rubbing his sore cheek. Standing up, Jack curiously felt someone breathing at the back of his neck. He could smell beer and rum and other disgusting odours in the wafts of air that kept hitting his neck. Slowly, he turned around to see the source. He rather regretted it then. 

"This pirate scum givin' ye trouble, Giselle?" a very tall, smelly, hairy man whose girth was almost too enormous to describe, was cracking his knuckles right in front of poor Jack's face. Giselle whipped out her tiny fan and rapidly began to try and blow away the smell that emanated from the portly man who looked like he was getting ready to pound Jack into the ground. 

"N-n-not really, Starky," she shakily said, sidestepping her way behind Jack. The behemoth man grunted. 

"Um, yes--I mean no!! No, no, Mister... Stocky, was it?" Jack began to slowly reach for his gun behind his back, while Giselle clung to him. "I wasn't bovthering 'er, no, not a bit." He could feel the wooden end of his pistol. "She just, uh, _leaped_, onto me, a'cause i's a lil _joke_, ye might say, yeah between the two of us, and...oh my god, the Navy's 'ere!!" At the mention of the word 'navy', Starky turned around, giving Jack the chance to smack the man on the back of the head _hard_ with the butt of his gun. Starky froze. And slowly turned around...

He. Was. PISSED.

"Oh dear, we are in trouble..." Jack quietly mumbled. 

"We?" Giselle said frightened. "I don' think so, Jack!" As the fair-haired whore rushed away to the side of the street, Starky took one large step towards Jack, and picked him up by the collar of his shirt. As Jack dangled two feet above the ground, Mr. Starky reached up and pulled off...a toupee? 

"That's, uh, that's a _lovely_ hairpiece ye got there," Jack said, hoping to distract the big oaf. Mr. Starky reached up to his skull and tapped with his knuckles, making a clinking sound. Jack stretched his face so his eyes could see atop his capturer's cranium. A thick triangular sheet of iron was plated across the man's head. "Ah," Jack exclaimed flailing his arms about. "That, uh," chuckle, "that _would _explain, why you were not knocked unconscious then, wouldn't it?" Nervous, nervous laughter. "That's interesting..." Starky raised his fist. "That's very interesting..." Jack scrunched his eyes shut and waited the blow to land. But it never came. He slowly opened one eye and saw Starky staring wide-eyed at him.

"Y-y-y-you-y-y-you're-you're _Jack Sparrow_!" he finally blurted out. 

He said it so loud that people all around the street and on the roofs heard him, and all started to gaze in bewilderment, happiness, fear, anger, etc. 

Starky quickly put Jack down. "S-s-so, SO sorry mate! I didn recognize ya for a second. Aw, bloody 'ell, I feel awful, just god-awful..." He trailed off as he tried to sweep the dust off of Jack's clothes and straighten his jacket. Jack was confused for a moment...or two...but he finally composed himself. 

Clearing his throat he stated, "Uh, yes, _yes_! **_Captain_** Jack Sparrow, if you please." Jack struck a regal, intimidating pose. "You didn't _really _think ye could get away with that, did you? WELL!" Jack spun around on his heel, as he saw Giselle walking towards him again. She was trying to follow him. It made perfect sense in her mind. I mean, she'd walked to the other side of the street because there was going to be a fight, but now all that was over, and Giselle needed to be Jack. It's just something you would _assume_, right?

No, no, not really, no.

"Need something, luv?" Jack asked, slightly annoyed. 

"Oh, nofthing really," Giselle replied coyly, "just wondering if I could go with you for a bit." And then the devious forced smile...

"Uh, look, Elle--_GISELLE_," Jack silently cursed himself for using that name, "All I'm gonna be doin' is goin' round to the taverns'n'stuff. I won't be doin' anythin' too in'trest'ting..." Giselle stuck out her lip and began to whine.

"But Jaaa-aack!! Please," puppy-dog eyes... "Can' Oi go with you? Puh-leeease??" Ok, so she could look really, really pathetic when she wanted to...but Jack would _not_ give in!!...............Oh, those _eeeeeyes_!!! Well--NO! Nonononono!! Sigh...

"All right..." _I'm going to regret this,_ Jack thought as Giselle wrapped herself around Jack's arm, _I just **know** I'm going to regret this..._

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**ROTA: Ramblings of the Author**

Right then, s'all good. No more of my babbling for a bit... OK, _a bit_'s done. Whaddya think? Kinda short, but, eh... Reviews people, bloody bloody reviews. I seem to be fond of that word at the moment, do I not? I messed up my knee in gym last week so I have plenty of time to write this week. I promise to have at least one more chapter up by the end of this week, possibly two. Oh yes, one last question: how many of you think I should just nix my commentary at the beginning and end of each chapter? I mean, I usually try and keep it short, but does anyone find it particularly annoying? I always thought they were rather amusing, but, to each their own... Happy holidays again loves. 

Love,

~*Kitty*~

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	7. Chapter 7

I Can't Ever Leave You

By Kitty =^.^= 

**A/N: **Allo allo ev'eyone! Kitty here with another chapter. It's wasn't by the end of the week, but I DID update, just like we--**_I _**promised.

Smeagle: Please give us reviewses! Yeeees, yeeeeeees, nice reviews, good reviews, and then give us da precious!!

Kitty: Smeagle, not now! I'm trying to update!!

Smeagle: But...but we wants da precious! We wants it we does!

Kitty: sigh That's all fine and good, but I think people wanna read the story, not our silly conversations.

Smeagle: .................................but what about da--

Kitty: Ah-ah-AH!! No!! groan We better just start the chapter before we become our schizophrenic self again.........uh-oh.........   

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"Need something, luv?" Jack asked, slightly annoyed. 

"Oh, nofthing really," Giselle replied coyly, "just wondering if I could go with you for a bit." And then the devious forced smile...

"Uh, look, Elle--_GISELLE_," Jack silently cursed himself for using that name, "All I'm gonna be doin' is goin' round to the taverns'n'stuff. I won't be doin' anythin' too in'trest'ting..." Giselle stuck out her lip and began to whine.

"But Jaaa-aack!! Please," puppy-dog eyes... "Can' Oi go wiv you? Puh-leeease??" Ok, so she could look really, really pathetic when she wanted to...but Jack would _not_ give in!!...............Oh, those _eeeeeyes_!!! Well--NO! Nonononono!! Sigh...

"All right..." _I'm going to regret this,_ Jack thought as Giselle wrapped herself around Jack's arm, _I just **know** I'm going to regret this..._

As Jack and Ji--er, Giselle walked down the street, more and more onlookers began to poke their heads out of their windows and doors. While Jack looked around for a good pub to go in, Giselle talked. She talked a lot. And here and there she would giggle audaciously like the devious blonde princess she was. Jack didn't say much. All he wanted to do was find a tavern, go inside, get rum, get drunk...and try and forget.

          "Jack?" The pirate looked up from the ground and turned to his unwanted companion. "Wha's the mattah with ye? Oi've been talking forevuh and I donn think you've 'eard a word Oi've said!" Jack began to turn his head down again, but Giselle jerked his arm causing his head to fly up. "Jaa-aack!!" And there was the whining again... Jack sighed.

          "Sorry, Giselle, I just...have a lot on me mind, s'all, and just wanna do wha' I have to do and be done." Giselle didn't look satisfied with that. Her cloudy cobalt eyes began to flame with sharp cerulean. "Uh, I mean, find a pub! Yes! Find a pub, s'right! So, uh, where to then?" Jack smiled weakly, hoping that his recovered reply would sate her curiosity. She looked at him for a moment through narrowed dark-blue lined eyes...

          "All right then!" she bubbily replied. "Uuuuuuuummm...'Ow bout 'ere?" They had stopped in front a tall wooden house (well, more a shack really...) and the sign above their heads read in once-flowing golden script, now chipped and faded yellow, _Serum Pub_. Jack's face softened.

          "Yeah," he mumbled going through the shabby door, "This'll do." Dodging splatters of alcohol, flung chairs, and drunken sailors, the two made their way to the back of the pub and sat down at a table. A skinny old man with few teeth left came over and asked, "What'll it be, mates?" 

          "Just bring me a bottle of rum, the good stuff...and, uh, keep 'em coming." With a simple nod the elderly innkeeper started to walk away, but suddenly his head snapped back and the skin that dangled from his neck jiggled back and forth in such a way that even Giselle sucked in her lips and bugged out her eyes, looking like she was going to be sick. But the ancient bartender's eyes were even wider than hers. "**_JACK SPARROW!?!?_**" The whole room fell silent (with the exception of one bottle that was shattered over someone's head; the attacker was deaf...) 

          Jack froze and cautiously looked around. Okay, Captain Jack Sparrow, in a pub, with lots of people that he knew (at one time or another), and he was already settling into DITADI (deep-in-thought-and-depressingly-introspective) mode because of... _No._ _Not gonna think about that now._

          The pirate captain sat up straight and his chin tilted upwards. "Captain Jack Sparrow, IF you don't mi--AAGH!!" As if on cue, almost every person in the bar jumped out of their seats and ran over to the table Jack and Giselle were sitting at. Hands grabbed Jack's, bringing him into welcoming handclasps. Women's lips were pressed to Jack's face as Giselle tried to battle them off. And occasionally a dagger or two were drawn and pointed at Jack's throat. Luckily the fighters were drunk as hell and eventually slapped Jack on the back, saying it was good to have him back. One even started to cry and tell Jack how much he'd been missed. And then there were the questions... 

"'Ow'd ye get the Pearl back from the bilge rat Barbosa, Sparrow?"

"We 'eard that mutinous crew marooned you on a god-forsaiken island off in the middle-o-nowhere's! 'Ow'd ye get off?!"

"Oy! I 'eard he roped a couple a sea turt'les! Is'at right Jack?"

"Nah, nah, twas sharks that 'ee roped, it'was! Were'n they Jack boy?"

"Why the bloody 'ell are ye around with this blonde strumpet instead a ME?!?!"

Well, that last question came from two women. The first was Chelsea (A/N: pronounced Chel-say-uh), Ana Maria's twin sister. The two looked exactly alike...except she was blonde (she apparently found British hair dye very fun to play with...) and a helluva lot more girlish. _Cute though--AAGH, nononononoooo._ And the second... **_SLAP!!_**

"Jack Sparrow, you rodgering arse-head!!" 

_Hmm, red-brown hair, red dress, lots of eye-liner, and--OUCH!!_ Jack looked up at the face of a very unhappy Scarlet, and then down at her iron-plated boot toes were mashing his poor foot into the ground. "Hey!" shouted Giselle, who was beginning to feel very unhappy about not being the centre of Jack's attention. She jumped up and pushed Scarlet back away from the table and screeched, "You ca'n do that to Jack, you rougey harlot!" Jack began to shake his head and put his worn hat over his head. In a flurry of nails, teeth, and hair, so began one of history's greatest catfights. And while about two thirds of the people around Jack left to watch, there was still more, which included--

"Oh Jaa-aack!" called a sweet voice with a mixture of Jamaican and British. "Look here at what I've got for ye..." Jack's hat was lifted slightly up from his face, just enough so that he could see a glass bottle waving in front of him, the dark brown liquid inside sloshing about. "How about a drink then, me dearest?" Jack looked at Chelsea's young, hopeful face. He wanted to smack it for some odd reason. He was cranky, we'll just suppose. At women especially. And then he looked at the bottle again. 

"All right then, luv," Jack tipped his hat up more, smoothed out his moustache, and put on his most charming smile that he could manage at the moment. He tapped the seat next to him as Chelsea set two glasses down in front of him. "Les-ave-a-drink!" _Finally. Rum._

Chelsea, looking quite pleased with herself, poured about a quarter of the bottle in Jack's glass and dispensed half of that into her own glass. Ignoring the two women still fighting in front of them, Jack's and Chelsea's glasses clinked together. Chelsea stared seriously into Jack's eyes and smiled fiendishly. "Welcome back, Captain Jack Sparrow," she murmured, glancing around at the men and women who had just come into the Serum Pub, hearing that a certain pirate captain was back. "You have been missed." 

Jack's glazed eyes weren't even looking at Chelsea as his strangled voice came with the reply, "Yeah, missed by this lot, it's great..." Jack held his cup up to the moonlight that streamed through the open window, admiring the way it caught the glass, and swirling the liquor around, watched it run up the sides of the glass as it coated the rounded edges. A cruel smile played upon his lips and he proposed a toast to someone who was no longer with him. "To my return, and the future before me." _And a happy birfthday to you, luv..._ With not another thought, Jack tipped his head back along with his glass and drained every drop of rum in it. He scrunched his eyes at the bittersweet taste as an onslaught of warm, pleasurable liquid fire lashed through his veins. He brought the glass back down to the table, practically slamming it. "Pour us another then, Chelsea." Jack waited for more rum to be flow into his glass, but it never came. He looked back up at Chelsea. "Whas' wrong, woman?" Jack asked rather irritated. "I said pour us another." 

"Sorry, Jack," she answered rather dejectedly. "It's just, um," she tapped at her temple near her eye, "Ye, ye got tears in yer eyes, I thought it was too strong for ye, and that I'd wait a bit to give ye another." Jack inhaled sharply, and silently cursed himself for another time that night. 

"Yeah, it...it is a bit stronger than the..." Jack fought to keep his shoulders rigid and straight, "i's stronger than the stuff I'm used teh drinkin' on me ship. I's..." his eyes were threatening to give way to downpour and his vision was hazy, "Tha's all i'is, yeah, I's too strong, we'll..." Chelsea finally began to pour him another drink, "We'll go wiv that." And once again, a draught of rum splashed down Jack's throat. The effect of it was starting to hit him now. Chelsea poured him another. Now normally, Jack was definitely a man who could "take his ale." Okay, maybe not _definitely_. Okay, okay, not at all. But after two huge glasses of rum, Jack was certainly feeling tipsy, at the very least. And that was what he wanted. To become so intoxicated that he couldn't remember a damn thing, to forget everything. Basically the object was to get whammed (if we were going to be very British about it...)

   "Ah, AH, yesh, right then!" Jack shouted, the slur in his voice become more and more obvious. "Um, where be the, uh, the uh..." He looked to Chelsea for help. "Wha's that word again??" Jack waved his hands about, charade-ing the word he was looking for. Chelsea's eyes lit up and she threw her hands up in the air. "Ooh, a game! I love games! Pick me!!" The poor girl flipped aside her dyed banana-peel blonde hair with a smile and tried to assist him in his word search. He formed a circle with his forefingers. 

"Um," Chelsea tried, and Jack waved his hands about more, "oh! Um, a circle?" Jack nodded and motioned her to continue on that track. "Oh, ok, uh, um, oh god, don't tell me. Ooh, ooh!" Jack's right hand grasped an imaginary handle and threw his head back, miming taking a drink of something. "Oh, is it a, a, a cup?" Jack nodded again and held his hand level above the table about 5 inches high (or at least as level as he could manage with rum running through him.) 

"Right then, a cup, a cup. Uuuhhh, a shot glass?" Jack wagged his head 'no' and emphasized that the glass was supposed to be 5 inches high. "Nix the shot glass. Oh, is it a wine glass then?" Jack's head shook even more and he pretended to lift up the cup and slam it back down. "Not a wine glass either, eh? Uuuummm... a...champagne flute?" Jack's head was shaking violently now, causing his dreadlocks to fly all around his head. He stumbled over to a fat sailor who was sitting at the table next to them. Just as the man was about to take a drink, Jack grabbed the textured cup and held it up in the air, taking the sailor's hand with him. The man dropped to the floor and looked in wonder up at Jack who was waving the cup back and forth in the air, sloshing bits of whiskey out. The sailor, not being able to reach his drink at the moment stuck his tongue out and tried to catch the drops of liquor as the descended. Chelsea clapped her hands and pointed a triumphant finger at the cup Jack held in his hand. "OH!! Ohohohoh!! It's a pint!!" Jack tossed his hands back sending the drink flying (and the sailor, as he was standing up to take a real drink from the glass...) 

"Tha's right! A pint. A _pint_! Le'ss 'ave one a those!" Jack took a step forward and his leg couldn't seem to find the floor, sending him crashing into the ground. "Oh, Jack!" Chelsea called and she jumped over the table to go get him. "You all right, mon? I don't think ye should have any more than you've had." Jack's downward face shot up suddenly as he exclaimed, "No more rum?" He struggled to his feet. "No more rum?!" His legs wobbled and he flopped back down upon his bottom. "Well!!" He tossed a limp hand up to his cheek so as to create the illusion he was considering something. "'Ow about some ale then? Or, uh, whiskey? Yes, whiskey. And then of course there's rum!" Jack groggily shook his head. "No, nope, wait, we said that one's gone...what about, uh...rum! Yes rum is always good!" 

Chelsea rolled her eyes and pulled Jack to his feet, and dragged him back to his table. "Wait here, ye great oaf," Chelsea shouted laughing. "I'll go get ye a pint."

"Or two!" Jack called to her as she walked away. "Yes, yes, a pint..._or two_." Just then, Jack felt two slim hands resting on either of his shoulders. "'Allo captain, my captain," said two distinctly feminine voices. Jack tried to turn around and see who it was. 

_Hmm, no one over 'ere on the right side. _Now, he may have been drunk but he thought he had heard shuffling of feet and a swish of skirts. He turned to the left. _No, no one over 'ere either. _Jack shook his head for the hundredth time that night and turned himself straight. _I wonder if I'm already that drun--WOAH!_ Standing in front of him were the two disgruntled and dishevelled women who had earlier been fighting. Scarlet and Giselle. "Oh, uh, yes," Jack dazedly replied. "Allo girls. What brings ye two to see ole Jack then, m'dears?" The two giggled and slid onto the bench, Scarlet on the right and Giselle on the left. 

"Well, after a bit a fightin'," began Scarlet, pressing a cold shot glass to her slightly swollen eye, "We've come to an agreement."

"We've decided to share ya," Giselle continued, "en not troi en kill each uvva." Jack slumped down in his seat and rubbed his temples with his forefingers. 

"Don't **_I_** get a say in this, then?" The two women looked at each other, speaking silently with little glances, nods, and raised eyebrows.

"No," was their simultaneous answer.

Jack shook his head and threw his hands up in defeat. "Just like always, I s'pose." Just then, Chelsea came back carrying a tray with 8 pints of rum. "All that for me then, luv?" Jack asked hopefully gazing at the bubbles fizzing out of the glasses and onto the tray. Chelsea shook her head, tossing several strands of bright sandy yellow hair over her shoulder. 

"You wish, Jack," Chelsea answered saucily. She set four of the mugs down in front of him in a square. "Only four of 'em are."

Jack stared at the rich brown liquid fizzing and popping and sending little bubbles into the air with a mixture of longing and desolation in his eyes. More rum meant several things: he was gonna get even more drunk, he wasn't gonna know what he was doing, but most importantly of all... _I'll forget._ Jack seized the handle of the first mug. _I'll forget what today is. _He downed the first half of the rum. _I'll forget why I hate it. _He finished the second half and licked a drop from the glass lip. _I'll forget why I love it. _He slammed the empty pint down and reached for the second. _I'll forget why it's important to me._ His vision began to swim as rivers of rum flowed down his cheeks and beard as he tried to drink it all in one swallow. _I'll forget what happened..._ The three women began to gaze worriedly at Jack, almost fearing the crazed estranged look in his eyes. _And I'll **remember** why I should forget._ The third mug was empty now, and with lethargic hands Jack reached for the fourth. _With one glass, I'll drink away my love for her impulsive, ambitious nature. _He pressed his lips around the edge of the glass. _With two, I'll forget my adoration for her loving eyes, how she swept away my loneliness, how she was my perfect match. _He tipped the mug backwards and the liquor began to fill his mouth. _I'll drink the third and lose the memories of the times we had and her joy of life. _The taste thrashed against his tongue. _And with a fourth glass, I'll forget my need for her, further drowning out the voice in my head that tells me to find her and hold her in my arms again. _Only a third of the rum was gone from the glass he still held in his hand, but Jack reached for Giselle's while still holding his mug. _And what's a fifth gonna hurt? _He chugged the remaining drink from Giselle's mug. _'Cause with a fifth I'll lose my restlessness and no thought will provoke remembrance of her. _He made a grab for Chelsea's but she pulled away, so Scarlet's was the next drink to be stolen. With each drink, Jack tried to drink away inhibitions, memories, fears, hopes, adoration, for they all linked back to **_her_**. _And a sixth..._ Jack's head heaved forward and lolled over the table as he tried to defy the emphasised gravity, due to his heavy drinking, and get the last drink down, to complete the ritual. _And the sixth will... _Scarlet and Giselle began to beg Chelsea for a sip of her rum and Jack's brain realised that he needed two hands to lift the heavy mug. _And the sixth, despite its imperfection, will destroy that place in my mind where I imagine us in love with burning passion, where I take joy in protecting her and I revel in her love for me, where she adores being watched over by me and cares for me. _The laughing, screaming faces in front of him twisted and whirled and spun about. Jack let the mug fall from his hand and it landed on the table with a loud clink. His palms were pressed against the table. His chest heaved in and out with heavy breaths. Jack let out a heavy, shaky sigh as the effect of the alcohol fully gripped him, making his frame rigid with tension. _I'm going to forget about her, _he thought fiercely, his shoulders shaking and his eyes squeezing shut. _I'm going to forget and never remember. _

The three women around Jack were all looking distraughtly at him. 

"Whaddye think is wrong wiv 'im then?" whispered Giselle. 

"I do'n know," murmured Chelsea. "Too much rum maybe?"

"Maybe 'ee lost a job or somefthing on a ship," offered Scarlet, "and...now 'ee's...depressed?"

Suddenly Jack shouted with abandon, "Right then! I say we sing a, uh, uh...a song, YES, a song!"   

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**A/N: **Ack! I'm sorry luvs. It's been so long since I update. It's just that school's been a bitch and--NO, we musn't tries to get out of its, we musn't nono. We...musn't...s?? No, causes we iss been procrastinatings forevers!!! So it's iss our fault. Whaaa?? Ok, whatever, but-but-but sniff I'm putting on new chapters!! sob I-I-I have been trying, I _have_!! sobcrywhimperwhimper, runs away to get her ass in gear and write more chapters and update 'em...

Until next time dear readers,

~*Kitty*~

   =^.^=

P.S.

I'm going to try and update more frequently. Since tomorrow is Wednesday, and I have an 80-minute study hall, I shall update Chapter 8. And that shall be my update day forevermore!! So basically I'll update every day of wednes (or every other one...) Laters!


	8. Chapter 8

I Can't Ever Leave You

By Kitty =^.^= 

**A/N: **Allo allo ev'eyone! Kitty here. Sorry I didn't update on Wednesday last week right after Chapter 7. My laptop was messed up and I couldn't get on the Internet, I was _petrified_. But, after much teetering and tinkering, I have fixed it. Please don't be mad! glares at panda and you mustn't be so mean! sobcrywhimperwhimper So without further ado (unlike usual...) here is Chapter 8 of ICELY (**I C**an't **E**ver **L**eave **Y**ou...heh heh heh, acronym...)

POSTSCRIPT 

**_Please be warned_**, my younger readers and/or those with weak constitutions: at the **_end of this chapter_** there is some **_rather suggestive material_**. **_Nothing too bad_**, this story is **_only rated PG-13_**, calm down. glares at Doty and claps hand over her mouth before she can say "Gasp! Kathryn! Naughty!" So yeah, if you're offended, either skip to the very end or **_get over it_**. Okay, 'nuff-o-dat, please, go read...

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"Whaddye think is wrong wiv 'im then?" whispered Giselle. 

"I do'n know," murmured Chelsea. "Too much rum maybe?"

"Maybe 'ee lost a job or somefthing on a ship," offered Scarlet, "and...now 'ee's...depressed?"

Suddenly Jack shouted with abandon, "Right then! I say we sing a, uh, uh...a song, YES, a song!" His arms flailed about as he jumped on top of the table and his face scrunched into an expression of one in thought of a very perplexing mystery. "But what song you might ask, well, I'll tell you!" By now most of the bar was staring at Jack again and began to gather around him. 

"Yes, um, now 'ow'd it go again??" Jack squatted down on his knees and leaned forward (while the three women in back of him took a very appreciative gander at his behind.) "Lessee, uuummm...duh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh duh nuh nuh nuh...and really bad eggs...ah HAA!!" Jack leapt off the table and landed shakily on his feet, not quite falling over. "I've got it! We're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs," he held up another shot glass he found at the table next to him, "drink up me hearties yo ho!" 

Jack grabbed Chelsea and Giselle by their arms and spun around, taking them with him. "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirates life for me, I _llloove _this song, ah ha!!" Chelsea and Giselle started to clap and giggle while Scarlet leapt into Jack's arms, pushing the other two women away. Not realizing Scarlet was the one he was carrying, Jack continued in his mad song...

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.  
We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot,  
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.  
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot,  
Drink up, me 'earties yo ho.  
  
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.  
We extort, we pilfer, we filch, and sack,  
Drink up me 'earties yo ho.  
Maraud and embezzle, and even high-jack,  
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.  
  
Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me.  
We kindle and char, inflame and ignite,  
Drink up, me 'earties yo ho.  
We burn up the city, we're really a fright,  
Drink up me 'earties yo ho.  
  
We're rascals, scoundrels, villains, and knaves,  
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.  
We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs,  
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.  
  
(A/N: And now, my favourite verse...)

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.  
We're beggars and blighters, and ne'er-do-well cads,  
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.  
Aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads,  
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!!

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life fer me!

          Jack spun around on the heels of his boots and Scarlet's red skirt flared out knocking him in the face. He didn't really notice. He ran around to all the tables, clapping peoples' hands together, banging mugs down rhythmically, even stomping their feet for them (they didn't really like the last one, but they were mostly all drunk so it doesn't matter in the slightest.) 

"Come, come now," Jack cried, "sing along, for gods sakes!" The slur in his voice made all of his S's sound like Z's, his A's like I's, and his E's like A's. "Yes, yes, veeeery good then!" He batted at everyone's hands and kept singing the lovely lit'ul hymn. "Really, _bad_ eggs! Whoa!" Jack suddenly realized he was very tired. _Why is that do ye suppose??_ He looked down in his arms and saw Scarlet waving up at him. "Huh. Thas' why. When did ye get there?" Scarlet steeled her eyes and forced them to not roll around, lest she ruin her chances of wooing Jack. 

"Oh, a while," she silkily replied. Jack's forehead furrowed as he wondered if it were true. He looked around. Scarlet began to hope. Maybe he was finally going to kiss her! She'd waited for-bloody-ever and-- "Does anyone 'ave a crowbar?" Jack shouted. Scarlet's mouth dropped open. "'Ow do I git this fthing off?!" **_Slap!!_** Scarlet plopped to the ground but that wasn't why she was fuming. Jack looked confused. Then scared. Then insulted. It took him a while but he finally said something to Scarlet about her attack on him. 

"Oooow!" he said loudly, yelling at her head. Oh, yeah, he told her all right. "I don't think I deserved that Red. Ouch! Stop that!" Jack grabbed his knee, yelped in pain, and hopped around. Chelsea and Giselle each took an arm and led poor Jack back to the table. "There, there, now," cooed Giselle, "s'all right." 

"Yeah," added Chelsea, "we'll go kick her backside for you." Giselle inched away from Chelsea, gazing fearfully at her brown fists. "Um, that's ok," she replied, "I'll stay 'ere wiv Jack." Chelsea rolled her eyes and went off to beat up Scarlet. Where did that girl get to anyway? Giselle beamed. Now she had Jack all to herself and... "Oy!" Giselle looked under, behind, even on top of the table, but then just sat up, confused. "Where'd 'ee get to??"

Outside, Scarlet was walking as quickly as her legs would allow. And dragging helpless, drunken Jack behind her. She was headed for the docks. "Now Jack," she called back to him as he waved to one of his crew members who was heading into an old house (with a woman), "whaddya sai we go and 'ave ourselves a lit'ul fun back at ye ship, eh?" Yes, those were perfectly good seductive words. "Jack?" Too bad Jack wasn't listening and singing '15 Men On A Dead Man's Chest' (yo ho ho and a bottle of rum...). "Jack!!" Scarlet screeched. "Bloody 'ell, just 'ow drunk are ye?!"

Jack stopped them from moving any further by dragging his heel in the dirt until he'd created a rut that Scarlet couldn't pull him out of on her own. He turned around, effects flying, and he waved his hands in front of her. "Well. _Very_.Drunk. _Quite_. Drunk, I should imagine. And now if you'll excuse me," Jack saluted her, "I've must get back to my village." He began to walk in his swaying way ahead of Scarlet. "I'm expected home by dinner because I have to milk the chickens and collect the cow eggs, good day to you sar!" Scarlet (thoroughly confused) just followed Jack because he was heading in the direction of the Black Pearl anyway. 

Walking up the gangplank, Jack looked up and saw that there was no moon. "No bloody pirate zombies then," he shouted. "No more blasted, whoa," Jack tripped, "blasted _mutineers _tryin'tuh steal me ship!!" He glanced suspiciously around making sure that there weren't any mutinous immortal skeletons lurking about. Scarlet stumbled along the walkway that was no more than a long thin piece of wood. "I'm not gonna fall," she muttered, "I'm not gonna fall." Letting out one little 'eek', she jumped onto the deck, looked over the side, cringed, and cautiously edged away.

"Boo!"

"AAAGH!!"

Laughter...glaring... "Uh-oh," mumbled Jack, but not before Scarlet had slung her fist into his stomach, so it really sounded like "Uh-OOHahowouchouchieowowowowoooow!!" 

Scarlet's brown eyes flared. That was it. She was pissed. She and Jack were gonna jump in bed in the next 30 seconds or someone was gonna get pushed overboard, and it _wouldn't_ be her (A/N: singsongy that's what sheee thiiinks...heh heh heh...).

"Jack?" The drunken pirate flung himself up from leaning over backwards against the side and looked across to the other side. Scarlet had let both of her sleeves slip down off her shoulders, she leaned against the rail so as to thrust her breasts forward in a (what she seemed to think) very alluring manner, and stuck out her lip in a pout. "Come 'ere would ye?" Confused, Jack swayed over to her.

"Yyyyupp?" he asked, smacking his lips on the 'p'. Scarlet laid her palms on Jack's shoulders and whispered, "Do ye know what Oi would _really_ like to do right now?" Jack's blank stare prompted her to further explanation. "It's something ye can do wiv your moufth." Jack thought a moment and then his eyes lit up. He smoothed out his moustache with his index fingers and suggestively wiggled his eyebrows. 

"I know ezactly what ye mean, luv." Scarlet leaned forward and closed her eyes. And waited. And waited. She cracked one eye open. 

"Well?" she impatiently asked.

"In a moment, in a moment," Jack replied in an equally intolerant tone. "I'm just figuring out what to do first." Scarlet's lips formed a perfect 'O' and her eyes went black. He must have been thinking of something _really_ good...
    
                "I'm a sailin' man and I don't give a damn, 'bout the wind or the wave or the weather, for life is rich on a pirate ship, so long as there's plenty of treasure!"
    
                Scarlet's mouth dropped open, gaping, but this time it was from disbelief, not lust. And now, so frustrated, she decided to take matters into her own hands...literally. Jack stopped singing slowly as he noticed that someone's hands were-heeello-what's-all-this-and-what-a-goes-on?!?! Something in Jack's mind made him back away, and he tried to, but Scarlet held firm on the matter (A/N: My god, I am full of such dirty jokes today...). Even though he flailed around a bit still, he had slowed down enough for Scarlet to plant her over-painted lips on Jack's dry ones. Something still screamed at Jack to pull away and toss the wench over board because of...because of...
    
                Jack forlornly grumbled a sigh, the tension left his shoulders, and he hesitantly gave in. Scarlet, overjoyed that she'd finally got him, began to pull him across the deck and pushed open the door to the Captain's quarters. She shrugged off the top half of her dress and tossed back the midnight sheets covering Jack's bed. 
    
                The voice in Jack's head that shrieked for him to stop was growing fainter by the minute, but Jack wasn't about to let it remind him of why he shouldn't, _couldn't_, do what he was about to. Breaking apart from Scarlet's (semi-)provoking lips, Jack tossed back the lid on his sea chest that sat next to his bed. 
    
                Pulling out a large dark brown glass bottle, Jack yanked the cork out using his teeth, and he took a swig. His vision began to haze again. Another. Scarlet's hands were traveling up his chest and wrapping themselves around his neck. Jack's eyes squeezed shut to block the salty drops that were sure to spill through any moment, and he took one last long draught, draining almost half the bottle. Still gripping the glass neck, he slipped under the covers with Scarlet and...

~*END (finally...) FLASHBACK*~

          Lying in his room that was filled with hazy grey morning light, Jack pounded his fist against the wall. He couldn't think anymore about last night. He'd kill himself before he did. With a heavy sigh, Jack got up. He had to go someplace...else. Someplace that wouldn't scream with memories of every woman he'd slept with. Almost every woman anyway... "Aah! Damn it to hell, don't go there Jack..." Jack sat down on the bed began to put on his shirt and coat. He needed to go somewhere where he didn't have to think about..._her_. 

Pulling on his hat, Jack stood up and looked around till he found his pile of maps. Striding over he righted the overturned table, pulled up a chair, and began to search for someplace he and his Pearl could go. After going through three or four maps, Jack came across one that on the top read "Port Royale." Jack grinned slightly. Well, he'd found someplace. Jack got up and walked to the door, swaying slightly. "Now all I have to do is find a weddin' present for Will'n'Liz." He almost smiled as he walked onto the deck, thinking, "After all, I love weddings. And no wedding would be complete wivvout a gift from Captain Jack Sparrow..."

Meanwhile, heading towards Tortuga were two ships...

Silhouetted against the rising sun, a figure stood atop the mast, gazing out at the sea with a lovely arrogant smirk, hair flying back against the wind. Chiffon scarves tied around the person's hat whipped around their face, and grazed the slender fingers that stroked a black diamond charm hanging upon a black pearl chain...

TBC!!!! BONSAI!!!!! 

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**A/N: **EEK!! Whaddya think?? To make up for last week when my lappy messed up, I'll try and update another one this week. grins deviously The WRITER'S BLOCK (ERIC: Dun dun duuun!!!) is retreating and I am once again in FAB AUTHOR mode!! insane laughter 

Remember to review,

Love,

~*Kitty*~

    =^.^=


	9. Chapter 9

I Can't Ever Leave You

By Kitty =^.^= 

**A/N: **Yaaaaay! We--**_I_**'ve updated! Chapter 9 is here and we hope all of you are ready (sorry it's a day late, apparently FanFiction.Net was "encountering heavy traffic" and the upload was interrupted...right. Uuuuh-huh... doubtful glare)!! A review of last time: We FINALLY got out of Jack's FLASHBACK of when the Black Pearl docked in Tortuga. He feels he needs to go someplace where he won't remember "_her_..." So he decides to go to Port Royale to visit the newlyweds, Will and Elizabeth! But at the end, gasp!, what's this? Someone standing at the top of a ship with the wind blowing in their hair...much like when Jack first came in at the beginning of PotC...how'd that happen...**_what _**was I thinking...why are you asking so many dumb questions??? Oh well! Onto the story, for we must hurry and finish Chapter 10! Our friend Brittany says she won't review until I get to Chapter 10. teary glare Damn you, Salazar...DAMN YOU, SALAZAAAAAR!! Wait...somehow those just _aren't_ the right words...

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Silhouetted against the rising sun, a figure stood atop the mast, gazing out at the sea with a lovely arrogant smirk, hair flying back against the wind. Chiffon scarves tied around the person's hat whipped around their face, and grazed the slender fingers that stroked a black diamond charm hanging upon a black pearl chain...

          Back on the Pearl...

          Opening the doors out onto the deck (well, opening them after running into them a few times...) Jack walked out, shielding his eyes against the early morning sun. He looked over onto the streets of Tortuga and saw that his crew was walking back after a long night of spending their money on wine, women, and amateur dramatics. Sighing Jack, leaned down, folded his arms, and rested his chin on the side of the ship. _I should find Gibbs soon, _Jack thought wearily. _Ask 'im if he 'eard anythin' about ships passin' through nearby..._

"Jack?" A hand lightly clapping him on the shoulder accompanied the voice. Jack turned rather suddenly, almost falling over, but he grappled the wooden side and held his upper body to it.

"Mornin' Gibbs," Jack said, straining to push himself upright.

"Morning, Jack," replied the first mate, looking quizzically at Jack's futile attempts to regain balance. "How ye feelin'?" Jack shrugged, which further impeded his efforts to stand up.

"Oh, just--woah," Jack finally stood up, and he grabbed his aching head, "just fine." Gibbs, although he saw that Jack was _not_ fine, began to walk away to start counting heads to make sure all the crew was there (even if they weren't, he'd still leave without them, but that's beside the point...) "Gibbs!" The first mate rapidly turned around in the direction of Jack's distraught voice. 

"What?! What is it cap'n??"

Jack just looked a moment at him with a look of embarrassment, almost disgust. "For gods sakes, man! Quit dancin' about the deck like some blasted sugar plum faery!" Gibbs turned his head slightly to the side, leaning forward, and shaking his head as though he didn't hear Jack correctly. "I mean," Jack continued as he shakily walked past him to the wheel of the ship, "have ye no _dignity_? Dear lord, the _people_ I associate wiv...ow! What?" Gibbs had grabbed Jack by the back of neck and steered him towards the captain's cabin. 

"I don't think so, lad," Gibbs said in a very parental manner. "Yer drunker'n'a fish and yer not gonna be steering the ship when yer loike that!" Jack looked at him like a teenage boy would look at his father when the father was saying the boy wasn't a man when the boy knew damned well that he was and... _Oh dear, I jest confused meself..._ Jack forgot his protest and walked back through the cabin's doors (again, after running into them a few times...)

As soon as the doors shut, Gibbs sighed and turned back around to walk to gangplank. Most of the crew was back by now and he went a few yards in front of the ship and yelled, "Come along now, ye scurvy bilge rats!!" And every man in Jack's crew knew that it was Gibbs calling out and that they better hurry their arses up! 

As soon as all of the men were on board (the last just made it by jumping off the dock onto the deck because the gangplank had already been pulled in) Gibbs called out directions so that they could set sail and the respective members of the crew echoed them. "Raise anchor! Hoist the mainsail! Let's look _alive_ out here, men!" 

While the rest of the crew began to prepare the ship for departure, Gibbs realised that Jack hadn't even said where they were going next. He slapped his head and heard something rustle under his hat. Taking it off, Gibbs found a ragged, folded piece of paper. He opened it up and found that it was a trade route map of a Spanish merchant ship. "Aye, that's right," he said to himself. "Picked that up last night from Jimm." Calling out a few more orders, Gibbs walked into Jack's cabin. The poor drunken pirate was face down on his bed, mumbling something about 'bloody rum.'

"Cap'n." No answer. "Cap'n?" A few waves of the hand that were meant to repel him. "Cap'n!"

"Aaghhowinthe...!! The what now??" Gibbs shook his head and groaned. 

"Jack, Oi've 'ad a thought:" the first mate put on an expression of mock wonder, "'ow can we set sail and leave Tortuga when we don't even know where we're going?" Jack, who wasn't even looking at Gibbs, sleepily growled in frustration as he tried to scratch his back and couldn't reach. "JACK!"

"Jaysus, Gibbs, do ye have to _yell_ suh damn much?!" Jack cried gripping his head. "I _told _ye where we was goin'."

"When?" Gibbs asked doubtfully.

"Yesterday."

"No ye didn't!"

"Oi did!"

"Where then?!"

"Port Royale!"

"Ye never said nothin'!"

"I did so, I said I needed to get a weddin' present for Will and Elizabefth!"

"But that was yer dumb-arsed excuse for not talking about--!" Gibbs stopped suddenly and slightly back away from Jack. Even with a helluva hangover, that man could you give one dangerous stare that said 'Don't even _think_ it.' "Eh, anyway!" Gibbs tried to change the subject, "Where are we gonna get somethin' now?" Jack snatched the map that was gripped in his first mate's hand. "Oh, uh," Gibbs fumbled over his words, "yeah, Oi got that last night from Jimm." Jack stared at it in disbelief. 

"Not Ole _Jimmy-Jim-Jim_ Jimm??" 

"Nah, nah, Jimmy-Jim-Jim's been long dead! Oi got this 'ere from Jimmy-_Jim_-Jim-Jim Jimm." 

Jack stood up, walked over to the table, and flattened the yellowed piece of paper on top of the other maps. "A Spanish merchant ship?" he asked.

"Aye," replied Gibbs. "Called _La Diabla Liza_. On its way back to Madrid from the Americas."

"Aaah..." Jack smiled slightly and stroked his beard in thought, liking this idea more and more. "Bound for Maddy, eh? Well," Jack stood up straight and strode towards the door with a kick in his step, "coming from the colonies they 'ave up there, that ship's bound to 'ave bundles of loot aboard it. All right then, Gibbs! Ow." Jack knocked into the door once more, but quickly composed himself. "We're goin' after _La Diabla Liza_!" 

_Besides, _thought Jack as he swayed over to the helm and Gibbs barked the new plan out to the crew, _this all'll keep me mind off of...damn it all..._

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          "Oo's that then?"

          "Don'know. She just came into port a bit ago."

          "Run into Sparrow at all, did she? Ee just left, I fthink, right before she got 'ere."

          "Nah, we woulda 'eard 'im screamin' and yellin' something terrible, ah ha ha!"

"Whot? Ye think she's annovvah wench ee di--?"

The man who had been speaking never finished his sentence...for a silver gilded dagger, studded with emeralds, had been shoved through his back, all the way through to the other side, jutting out of his stomach. As quickly as it had gouged through the man's flesh, it was drawn back out and the attacker just kept walking down the street, their weathered coat whirling behind them, their long dark hair waving about their face. Their features were fixed with long-simmering anger, sly suspicion, and just an overtone of proud, arrogant power.

The other two men that had been left standing gaped as their friend's body crumpled to the ground. 

"Mary, mudder o' god..."

"Oo _was_ she?!"

"Didn't ye see that jewelled silver dagger of 'er's, man?" 

"Aye, what of it?"

"Oo is one of the last pirates _thas'a'woman_ left, then? Oo captains two of the most feared pirate ships in the Caribbean, possibly the world?"

"Dunno. Oo?"

"Gods, man, don'you listen to anyfthing you 'ear in da taverns?! She's supposed to be the wildest fthing evuh, on the seas, an' in bed," he added with a slight chuckle, "Oi've 'eard people call 'er Feral Ella, she's so fierce'n'rufthless. They sai that on one of 'er ships she even keeps a menagerie of sorts, wiv wildcats that she's trained to be like an army of killing beasts whenever she takes a town or a ship! Teh... As if she _needed _'em. She's killed hundreds of men in battles _by herself_ with just that cutlass she 'ad. S'true!"

"Cor! I wouldn't wanna get in 'er way!"  

The mystifying, enigmatic female pirate captain walked through the lightening streets of Tortuga and even though no one recognised her at first, everyone seemed to realise that she was dangerous. The femme brigand walked into the Serum Pub, looking around at the people still there in the early morning hours. Choosing a table in the back of the tavern, she sat down, crossing her feet up on the table. As she silently wiped her precious blade of the fresh blood on a pitch-black cloth, a young woman wearing an ashy-blue dress, tied up on the sides with frayed black ribbons, walked over and stood at the side of the table. "What's yer pleasure then, dear?"

The dark-haired woman looked up slightly from under her hat. "You _do _know that I'm a woman, luv?"

The blonde laughed with genuine amusement and put a hand on the table. "Oh, course I do! No man on Tortuga can walk in as straight as you did jest now wivvout fallin' ovah. I was askin' whot ye wanted to eat or drink." The sitting woman raised her hat a little and looked the blonde up and down.

"You're a waitress then?" she said, doubt and sarcasm filling her voice. Then regretting her comment somewhat, added, "Meant nofthing of offense, luv, nofthing of offense." 

With a good-natured chuckle, the blonde replied, "S'all right. None taken. I know I don'ezactly look the part of 'waitress'," she said looking down at her clothing, "but is'a dai job, innit? So will ya be wanting anyfthing?"

The seated woman shook her head. "No. Thank you. But there is somefthing you could tell me." The blonde leaned closer. "Are there any women here who are...tough, I s'pose ye'd say. Not afraid of a lit'ul work, can taike an order, maybe brandish a sword?" The blonde lady peered into the deep sapphire, flecked with cyan. They held complete seriousness, she hadn't been joking. There was also...anger, maybe even...pain? Shaking her head a little, she answered the question.

"Um, I guess'so, but...why?" The marauder brushed aside a shiny bunch of onyx strands from her face, revealing a small wry smile.

"Let's just say I'm in need of a few good women," she smoothly drawled. "I'm rather weary of the incompetence of the men in my crew."

"Ah," the blonde nodded emphatically with understanding, and placed a sympathetic hand on the other woman's shoulder. "Ain't it the trufth...yeah, I know a few women oo'd be perfect." With a smile, she offered a hand in introduction. "Oi'm Giselle, by the way." 

The dark-haired woman accepted the handshake. "Wonderful tuh meet ya, Giselle. I'm..."

"Yeah, ole Jack was in 'ere last noight!"

"Ye jokin' roight?!"

"No, no ee was, Oi swear it!"

"Cap'n Jack Sparrow, eh?"

"Aye, the very same. 'Ad one 'elluva time wiv all that rum ee did and--achk! Oy! Whas'all this then?! Ye mad woman?!?!"

The pirate captain had jumped up from the table and grabbed the man by the collar before he could finish what he was saying. Staring menacingly into his eyes, she shouted, "_Where is he?! **WHERE** is Jack Sparrow?!?!_" The frightened man couldn't say a word as the terrifying woman dangled him in the air by his shirtfront. Shaking him fiercely, she screamed again, "**_WHERE IS HE, DAMN YOU?!_**" 

His forehead dripping with cold sweat, he finally shakily replied, "J-jack left a hour ago, b-but Oi d-d-d-don't know where to." 

With an enraged, growling snarl that echoed through the building, the streets, the whole tiny island it seemed, the lady pirate dropped the quivering man to the ground. She stormed out of the pub and sprinted to the docks like she was racing death. Not even bothering to get a plank of wood to cross over onto her ship, she leapt over the side and kept running to the crew's quarters below deck, without ever breaking her pace. Kicking open the door when she found it locked, the captain burst inside, startling her first mate and his female "acquaintance." Despite his confused protests and the woman's shrill shrieks, the captain dragged her first mate out on deck. Disappointed at losing his company (the poor woman had run off the ship as soon as he and the captain were out on deck), he spitefully shouted, "What in blazes is wrong with ye woman?!"

His captain raised her head and said quietly, dangerously, ominously, "Jack Sparrow just came through here with the Black Pearl..." 

The first mate's eyes looked as though they were going to bulge out of his head. Gulping for breath, he asked, "You...you don't mean?" 

Taking off her hat, the woman's face was revealed to the light after what seemed forever. She spoke with deadly severity in her voice as she stated, "Yes. I do." She looked out at the water, visualising the Black Pearl in the distance, "We're going after it." 

"B-b-but, Cap'n, we can't go after _the Pearl_!" the first mate objected. "We'd never be able to reach it, it's too damned fast!! And even if we did, it's captained'n'crewed by som-o-the most fearsome pirates e'er heard of in the Caribbean! And--!" 

_Click._

As was her custom, apparently, the lady captain had silenced another man before he could finish speaking. This woman with salient black hair and striking blue eyes looked like a demon at that moment...and those eyes...those eyes that told the story of someone who had been battered and beaten like the ocean waves breaking upon the hull of a mighty ship...held the tiniest traces of tears, barely visible to divine eternal power, and completely unseen to mortal eyes. She had cocked her pistol and was pointing it at her first mate's throat, as her cerulean eyes, regaining their steady, proud, condescending gaze, still looked out at the water. 

Smiling almost wickedly, she murmured, "I'm going to pay Jack Sparrow a little visit," 

_BANG!_

"Savvy?" 

The first mate opened his eyes and fearfully stared at the pistol that had swiftly moved to the side of his face.

"Now...gather the rest of the crew." The woman put back on her hat and pushed the first mate down to the ground. "And go into the Serum Pub. There's a girl in there, blonde hair, blue dress, name's Giselle. Fetch her _nicely_," she glared at him for a moment, a warning. "Tell her I should like her help in a few matters and that I've got a proposition for her." 

The first mate, annoyed but curious, asked "What are ye plannin', Cap'n?" The woman brushed aside a few strands of hair and leaned over the side of the ship's railing, as her fingers lightly drifted over the necklace hanging about her throat. The slightly calloused fingertips smoothed over the intricately cut black stone, and feathered over the slick, silky, shadowy pearls.   

"We're catching up," was her dreamy, impious reply. It was a threat, a vow, a promise...a plea...

And even though he was out of sight, far out on open ocean, as the world was pulled into daylight, Jack felt the back of his neck prickle, and his ears burned, as though someone was talking about him, and summoning him in their thoughts.

Somehow, Jack feared that even though that day that he hated, loved, despised, adored..._feared_..._wanted_...was over, that that glorious dream and abhorrent nightmare was far from over. In fact, it was only just beginning.

And Jack's fate was tangled and intertwined with the object his affections and hatred, more than he ever would have cared to realise... 

TBC!!! HASHEEN!!!!

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**A/N: **Aaaaaaaaaall righty then! This one's done, we must go finish Chapter 10! Aren't you excited?! You should be!!! We like this chapter very much, we does. Yesh, yeeeesh...

ERIC: How come I'm not in it??

KITTY: Eric?? How'd you get here??!!

ERIC: Well, see Mr. And Mrs. Fridel had just been married and--

KITTY: No, no, no, no whispers dear GOD no!! I meant in my AN.

ERIC: Uuuum...you put me here??

KITTY: I did?

ERIC: Yup!! 

KITTY: But I don't remember doing that!! confused, frantic sobs Damn you ADD... DAMN YOU ADDeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! 

ERIC: Ya know, somehow those just **_aren't _**the right words, babe.

KITTY: Hey that's my line!! groan Never mind, forget it. All of _you_ points at you through the computer screen Please **_review_**. FOR THE **_LOVE_** OF **_GOD_**, no, no, **_JACK_** (possibly even Kitty if you love us that much...), **_REVIEW_**. Thank you much...

Until next time, luvs...

Love,

~*Kitty*~

    =^.^=


	10. Chapter 10

I Can't Ever Leave You

By Kitty =^.^= 

**A/N: **YAY, we finally made it to Chapter 10!! glares at Brittany Ok, now you, yeah, yeah **_you_**: you're going to review now damn it!!! Yeah. I'm done. Ok, well I'm not going to babble on too much (frightening isn't it??). Just a few notes:

*I've got 55 reviews hugs laptop (KUZCO: Ah! I'm so_ **hap**_py!)

*I'm updating the story I took over for the Silver Siren of Circe too (Sirena, I'm **_still_** angry about that...)

*I'm probably going to put my Laby fic on FFN soon

*I might be putting up my Amadeus one (yay, Tom Hulce!)

*I just watched The Italian Job yesterday, and now pictures of Seth Green are on my lappy's 'My Favourite Hacker Idols' background

*I'm SO sorry about this update coming late. My laptop got messed up so I couldn't upload the chapter. And (to make things worse) my home computer is basically shot and has no internet.  -_-;  Life sucks sometimes... But, yeah, sorry about that again. 

*Well, actually, I take that back. I did say that I'd update either every Wednesday or every **_other_** Wednesday. So I haven't broken my word...

Ok, nuff-o-dat. Go read pleasies, and review!! 

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Jack stood up, walked over to the table, and flattened the yellowed piece of paper on top of the other maps. "A Spanish merchant ship?" he asked.

"Aye," replied Gibbs. "Called _La Diabla Liza_. On its way back to Madrid from the Americas."

"Aaah..." Jack smiled slightly and stroked his beard in thought, liking this idea more and more. "Bound for Maddy, eh? Well," Jack stood up straight and strode towards the door with a kick in his step, "coming from the colonies they 'ave up there, that ship's bound to 'ave bundles of loot aboard it. All right then, Gibbs! Ow." Jack knocked into the door once more, but quickly composed himself. "We're goin' after _La Diabla Liza_!" 

_Besides, _thought Jack as he swayed over to the helm and Gibbs barked the new plan out to the crew, _this all'll keep me mind off of...damn it all..._

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"Now...gather the rest of the crew." The woman put back on her hat and pushed the first mate down to the ground. "And go into the Serum Pub. There's a girl in there, blonde hair, blue dress, name's Giselle. Fetch her _nicely_," she glared at him for a moment, a warning. "Tell her I should like her help in a few matters and that I've got a proposition for her." 

The first mate, annoyed but curious, asked "What are ye plannin', Cap'n?" The woman brushed aside a few strands of hair and leaned over the side of the ship's railing, as her fingers lightly drifted over the necklace hanging about her throat. The slightly calloused fingertips smoothed over the intricately cut black stone, and feathered over the slick, silky, shadowy pearls.   

"We're catching up," was her dreamy, impious reply. It was a threat, a vow, a promise...a plea...

And even though he was out of sight, far out on open ocean, as the world was pulled into daylight, Jack felt the back of his neck prickle, and his ears burned, as though someone was talking about him, and summoning him in their thoughts.

Somehow, Jack feared that even though that day that he hated, loved, despised, adored..._feared_..._wanted_...was over, that that glorious dream and abhorrent nightmare was far from over. In fact, it was only just beginning.

And Jack's fate was tangled and intertwined with the object his affections and hatred, more than he ever would have cared to realise...

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The hull of the Black Pearl crashed through the waves, speeding in the direction of La Diabla Liza. Captain Sparrow stood at the wheel, his compass held out in front of him, his hand gripping the wooden post, every now and then turning it slightly. The day was clear enough, pale blue sky, with occasional patches that were interlaced with hazy white clouds. The water was seemingly calm, but still choppy and a little rough, gently rocking the ship. The wind was with them, so even though La Diabla Liza had gotten about a half-day's start ahead of the Pearl, Jack was sure they'd catch up. Besides, his Pearl was the one of the fastest ships in the Caribbean. 

A small smile played upon his lips, and, still gripping the wheel, he turned to look for Gibbs. It took a few moments, but Jack eventually saw him loosening the sails a little so they could pick up a bit more speed. "Gibbs!" Jack called. The first mate's head lifted and looked around for the source of the voice that had called him. Seeing Jack at the wheel waving him over, Gibbs climbed down and walked towards Jack. "Aye Cap'n?"

"Think ye can take the wheel for a bit, Gibbs?" Jack asked, in an almost weary tone.

"Sure thing, Jack," replied Gibbs. "Ye'll be wantin' a rest then?" Jack sighed and nodded.

"Yeh. I'm a bit tired." Gibbs shook his head and looked at Jack with a nameless reprimanding stare.

"Well, that'll teach ya not to drink loike that."

"Oh, come off it, Gibbs, you've been drunker than that a'fore." Gibbs shook his head again and rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I'll steer for a bit, Jack."

"Thank ye, Gibbs. I'll be in me cabin takin' lit'ul doze. Wake me if anyfthing happens."

"Aye, Cap'n."

After Gibbs took the wheel from Jack, the pirate captain made his way to the doors between the two sets of stairs that led to his quarters. For once not knocking into the door, Jack opened the right door, ambled through, and went to his table. Sitting down, he picked up the trade route map of La Diabla Liza, and his fingertips walked a path along the dotted line that showed the ship's course. _Ah, what riches shall we find on this lit'ul Dego ship, I wonder? _Jack thought to himself. _And this area is mostly out of the regions where Norrington posts men. _

Smiling, Jack recalled the several times the Commodore had tried to have him hanged. Then meeting Will Turner. And in turn, meeting Elizabeth Swann. _Or Mrs. Turner, I guess I should say. _Jack was glad those two had married. They obviously cared for each other a lot. And even though he had flirted a bit with Elizabeth, he never was serious. Sure she beautiful. But Jack hadn't felt that way about a woman for... _Damn. Damn, damn, damn, damn, DAMN._

As usual, trying to **_not think _**about something somehow always led to actually **_thinking_** about whatever it was you didn't want to think of. _Think of somefthing else, just think of somefthing else. _

He gazed at the map. Yes. That was good. 

They would attack La Diabla Liza. 

Good. 

They'd take the crew as prisoners till they had cleaned out whatever was valuable on the ship. 

Just keep thinking along those lines. 

He'd split any actual currency with the rest of his crew. 

Money.

Any ornamental swords or tools would be great to give Will. 

Tools'n'stuff. 

Jack would probably keep all of the precious and semi-precious jewels if there were any and choose the best to give to Elizabeth. 

Concentration was lost for just a fraction of a second, but it had happened. 

Jewels. 

Pearls. 

_Lela_. 

Jack's hand flew to his face, smacking his forehead once, and rubbing his eyes furiously. Nonononononononono. **_NO_**. 

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A bit earlier, back on Tortuga...

On board one of the ships of the female pirate, eleven women stood about, chatting away with questions and comments.

"'Ere now, whas'all this then?" said a woman.

"Dunno. Giselle's the one-a drug us up 'ere," replied another. 

"Cor, wouldya all just calm down?" Giselle protested.

"Calm down?" sneered the all-too-familiar voice of Scarlet. "Tch, 'ow do you expect us to do that?"

"She has a point, Giselle," Chelsea complied. 

"Yeah, we barely know why we're eer," called out another.

"Oo's this woman we keep 'earin about?" asked a different one. 

"Some female poirate cap'n, or some such nonsense," another answered.

"I'm startin' to fthink she's imagin'ry."

"Yeah, when's she gonna come round then?" 

"I told ya, jest wait a bit," Giselle stated firmly.

"Look, Giselle, luv, I wanna know oo the fuck we're dealin wiv 'ere," scoffed one more.

"Really?" The eleven women standing on deck of the Gremlin Flame turned and looked upwards, towards the cynical, mocking voice that had suddenly spoken up. "Well, you're fucking dealing wiv me, luv." The woman who had spoken swung down on a rope from the top of the mast, her long black hair sailing behind her. Landing with a soft _thump_ on the deck, she swept her hat off and took a graceful bow. 

"Hello, ladies," she smoothly said. "Giselle tells me you are a rare group of women: rough, tough, and maybe a lit'ul bit mad." She flashed a delicate smile and stated, "I am Captain Lela Bratchkep, and this," she gestured around them, "is one of my two ships. The ship yer on is the Gremlin Flame, and _that_," she pointed out across the water to the ship next to them, "_that_ is me pride'n'joy, the Siren Fire." 

Even at just the mention of its name, the eleven Tortuga women sensed the danger in it and could just stand in awe. That is until the captain began pushing them in various directions to position them in a line. Ignoring their soft, slightly annoyed protests that she was wrinkling their dresses, Lela pushed and pulled and prodded and poked until they were queued up and standing straight enough to her satisfaction. "Right then, I would like to know your names then," she commanded in a very authoritative tone. "Ye can add in any special skills er anyfthing if ye want." She smirked. "That way I can know who to fthrow off first." It took a second before they realised she was kidding, and one by one they started to nervously laugh, the ones who weren't the brightest skirts on the rack trailing off at the end. Lela rolled her eyes and, giving a good-natured chuckle, walked to the beginning of the line on the far left. "I do know _you_ a bit, luv," Lela laughed, "you're the one who organised these birds togevver. Giselle, yes?" The blonde nodded, little curls that were tied back bobbing on the back of her head.

"S'right...Cap'n." The two women smiled at the formal designation. "Now, I'm not particularly strong in me legs, can't run fast or nothin', but," Giselle flexed her right bicep and giggled, "I can best most any'un in arm wrestling."

"Good for hand-to-hand combat," replied Lela. Walking to the right with two small steps, she addressed the second woman. She stood a head above Lela but looked nervous and fidgety with mousy brown hair and constantly shifting grey eyes. "And you?"

"I-I'm R-Ramona," she answered in a soft, low voice. 

"And what do you do?"

"I w-works with weapons. Guns, swords, daggers," she looked at the sky, tilting her head, as two fingers wrapped and unwrapped a lock of hair, "butter knives, pins, fire irons..." She trailed off, her voice fading into near-silence, occasionally muttering something about "goood weapons, r-reeeaaal good weapons..."

Raising an eyebrow, Lela carefully slid past the still mumbling Ramona, and moved onto to the next woman, who surprisingly was about two inches shorter than Lela. "Your name?"

"Caitlin," the tiny, young woman replied. Lela raised an eyebrow in question and doubt.

"How old are you?"

"23 ½," Caitlin answered promptly.

"Are you sure?" Lela asked. "You look like you're...well," she pointed her forefinger on Caitlin's chest between the two clavicle bones, "like 11 or somefthing." Caitlin sighed and held up her hands.

"I know, I know. I never hit that growth spurt we all supposedly hit in adolescence."

"Ah-huh...well m'dear Caity-lyn, what do you do?"

"I've never actually been on a ship," she sheepishly admitted, "but ever since I was little, I've built forts'n'stuff. I'm pretty good too; I'm always adding in things like bells, booby traps, things like that. I'm very skilful with knots and tying things too."

"Sounds like you'd be perfect to work with the sails'n'things, Caitlin," Lela offered. The two smiled at each other and Lela stepped to the right again and onto the next woman. "Name?"

"Scarlet," sneered the brunette, brushing some dirt off her red skirt.

"Your skill?"

"Lily on the plateau," came the sarcastic reply with an innocent smile. Lela's eyes burned into Scarlet with a warning stare while the other women noisily gasped and giggled and quietly scolded and warned. Giselle came behind Scarlet and smacked her in the head. "Ow!" she squealed. Giselle shook her head and glared at the brunette who was regretting what she'd said and rubbing the back of her head. "I mean, um, ahem, I'll wash clothes and sew 'em, and help cook." Lela gave a delicate snort and turned to walk to the right.

"That's what I thought you meant to say. And you are?" 

"Katook!" the woman brightly answered.

"............Ka...took?" 

"Yyyyyupp!" she said smacking her lips on the 'p'. "And I can keep track of yer plunders'n'raids, the money ye make and stuff."

Giselle spoke from the end of the line, "Um, Er name's Kate, Cap'n, but poor girl's nutty as a fruitcake. She thinks she's a countess...of someplace called...called...Homahahn??"

"Omaha, you silly wench!" called Katook, rather annoyed. "It's not here _now_ of course. But it will be..._in the fuuuuutuuuuure_..."

Nearly regretting her choice to have these women on her ships, Lela just nodded slowly to "Katook" and carefully sidestepped to the right.

"M'name's Brittany, ma'am," the next girl said before the captain could ask. "As for what I do," she quickly drew her foil from her belt and her cutlass from the strap on her thigh, "I'm an expert swordswoman." Brittany smiled proudly as she threw the sword in the air, whipped her little dagger around a bit, and elegantly caught the falling sword by balancing the handle on her fingertip. She lifted her finger, tossing the sword up a bit, caught the handle fully, and neatly sheathed it back into its scabbard. 

"Very nice, luv," Lela said, nodding and smiling. "You'll have to go up against me sometime; see if you're as good as you think you are." Lightly chuckling, she walked to the right again. "Name?"

"Chelsea, Captain," answered the woman with bronzed flesh and fair flaxen hair. "I don'do much, I'm just one helluva shot."

"Right. Chelsea (A/N: Said like "Chel-see"), is it then?"

Chelsea shook her head. "No, ma'am, Chel**_sea_** (A/N: Said like "Chel-say-uh")."

"Good, good," Lela said. She started to step to the right again, but stopped and looked back at Chelsea. She stood directly in front of the Jamaican woman and stared at her intently, almost confused. "Do I..." she waved her hands a bit in front of her while searching for what she was trying to ask, "**_know_** you??" One hand was placed on her hip while the other's fingers tapped her chin. "You seem...familiar...somehow."

Chelsea laughed wholeheartedly and replied, "No, ye don't know me, Captain. But I think you're thinkin' of me half-sister Anamaria."

"Ah yes," Lela cried, understanding. "That's who you look like. You like almost ezactly like 'er." She snagged a piece of the bright yellow hair and waved it in front of Chelsea's face. "Except of course, wiv this. _This _make ye look loike a banana." With an abashed smile, Chelsea giggled and Lela offered a comforting grin. Looking to the next woman she asked, "What's your name, dear?" 

#8 The tiny Asian woman answered in a unexpectedly strong, low voice, "Ching."

"Ching. Hmm. What do you do then?"

"I...I shoot the guns."

"I see," Lela replied. Not wanting to press the woman any further—she obviously couldn't speak English very well—Lela simply said, "Well, Ching, glad to have you aboard. I'm sure you'll be very useful." Ching didn't quite understand, but she couldn't help but feel reassured by the captain's gentle smile and words. "Moving on," she turned to the next woman.

"Colette!" she cheerily exclaimed. "Est elle," she pointed to the slightly shorter girl standing next to her, "elle est mon meilleur ami--"

"Minou!" giggled the bright and breezy brunette. "Salut mon Capitaine! C'est avec plaisir que nous vous rencontrons." With a little tiny curtsey, Minou happily gazed up at Lela. Lela smiled back, glad that _these_ foreigners spoke something she could understand.

"Oui, c'est vrai. Que vous fait-il deux font?" 

Noticeably pleased that Lela spoke their language, the answered simultaneously with, "Nous pillons, nous fusil, et butin, nous enlevons, et ravageons et mettons't un mis plus fichu! Est-cela bon?"

"Oui," giggled Lela, "c'est tres bon." Walking over to the last woman, Lela asked, "You are...?"

"Judith," the woman replied coldly. "Gimme a sword and I'll kill ooevuh ye want me to." Lela was about to raise her voice and say that she did not welcome mindless killers very well, but decided against it. 

"Good then. That's all of ye." Lela turned away and walked in the other direction, not wanting Judith to have a chance to say anything else. "I'd love tuh have a bit more time to get to know you girls, but I'm afraid there other matters we must attend to." She stood in front of the line again, her welcoming, gentle nature almost gone, her face returning to its imposing glare and the commanding tone being restored to her voice. 

Pointing to each of them in turn, she directed, "Giselle, I want you to go over there on the Siren Fire. Chelsea, Caitlin, Brittany, and Ching: you go with Giselle." Calling out to the lovely Frenchies, Lela yelled, "Et Minou et Colette, vous deux vont avec Giselle aussi, bien?" The two women shouted back, "Oui, Capitaine!" and followed the other women getting of the Gremlin Flame onto the dock. Turning to the remaining women, Lela said, "Ramona, Scarlet, Katook, and Judith: I want you four to stay here on the Gremlin Flame. Scarlet, you can go down to the galley and make the crew somefthing to eat a bit later on. Katook, I'll show ye where I keep the books. Ramona, go down and 'ave a look-see at our cannons'n'fthings. Judith..." 

Alone on deck with this haughty, unsympathetic woman made even Lela slightly uneasy. "As soon as me first mate Conleth comes back, you can talk wiv 'im about our next job. I'd like you to be up front when we take this ship's crew prisoner, but, just..." Lela hesitantly handed Judith a large sword in a leather casing, "don't overdo it. Savvy?" Judith merely nodded and took the blade. "I gotta go onto the Siren now, but I'll be back to explain ev'eyfthing to the rest of you over 'ere." 

Lela turned to talk away when Judith quietly said her name. Turning back, Lela stopped herself from shuddering at the cold expression radiating from the woman who stood in front of her. "Nice to be working wif you, Captain." Lela inclined her head and walked away with a look of stone upon her face. Climbing up the mast, and grabbing the coiled rope that hung on a hook, Lela swung over to the crow's nest on the Siren Fire. With a toss of her head, Judith scoffed and leaned up against the side of the ship. "Yes, _wonderful_ to be working wiv you..."

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Back on the Black Pearl...

"All right men!" The Pearl's crew stopped whatever they were doing immediately and their ears pricked up at the sound of Jack's bellow. "La Diabla Liza is in sight! Haul on the main brace! Make ready the guns! Run out the sweeps." A warning shot was fired just to the side of the merchant ship. Jack could already hear the screams of confusion of the Liza's crew, and he smiled in pure delight at the sounds that told of potential chaos and mayhem. A second shot was fired, but this one made a direct hit with the ship's rudder. In less than two minutes, the Black Pearl had sidled up on the starboard side of La Diabla Liza and the planks were tossed onto the rails of both ships so that they sat flat. "Prepare to board!" called Jack, a triumphant ring already filling his voice. 

Yelling out a battle cry, Jack and the rest of the crew got on the Spanish ship, waving their swords and occasionally firing their pistols. The crew of La Diabla Liza flailed around in confusion; some were smart enough to try and fight, others hid, and still others ran below deck and into the captain's quarters to protect the valuable cargo. The ones who fought were quickly overtaken by the Pearl's men and forced back to the mainmast. The men who hid were easily found and pushed over with the braver members of the crew. As for the men who tried to hide and protect the cargo, all they did was lead Gibbs, Mr. Cotton, and Jack to the treasure they were after. 

Within three quarters of an hour, La Diabla Liza had been totally taken over by the Black Pearl. Once all the Spanish crew was tied to the mainmast, Jack stepped in front of them, striking a pose that made him look intimidating and powerful. "Gentlemen," he began, addressing his prisoners, "you have just been captured by one of the greatest pirates of all time: Captain Jack Sparrow." He took a graceful bow and rolled his hat off his head, exposing the wild braided hair and red bandanna. 

"And I shall be needing the keys to the safe in the captain's quarters. Anyone?" The prisoners kept silent. "**_No _**one?" Jack smiled and walked over to captain (he didn't know that he was the captain exactly, but the man had a hat with an excessive amount of feathers, so Jack assumed) and knelt down to be level with his eyes. "Tú." 

The man yelped with a very feminine squeal when Jack pointed to him. "**_You_** wouldn't happen to have the keys now would you?" The man started to rapidly speak in Spanish, hold up his hands, and nervously smile as if to say he had **_no_** idea what Jack was talking about. Jack nodded and gave a pseudo-sympathetic glance. "Aw, you **_don't _**have 'em?" Jack clicked his tongue. "That's just **_too_**, bad it is." He patted the man's shoulder in a seemingly comforting gesture, but... "I **_really _**am **_so_** sorry, and...allo. Wha's this now?" Suddenly Jack was holding a key ring in his right hand swinging it back and forth slightly in front of the man's face. Jack asked as if he honestly didn't know and was shocked to find them, "Could **_these _**be the keys I was lookin' for, I wonder?" An evil smile crept across Jack's lips. "Well, why don't we jest find out, then, savvy?" Standing back up from his kneeling position, Jack shouted, "Right then! Gibbs, you come wiv me into the cabin and we'll see if we can't get that safe open. Cotton, you stay here and guard the prisoners. The rest of you, go below deck and clean out whatever ye can find that's valuable enough to take." Jack strolled towards the captain's quarters in his usual swaying way, twirling the ring of keys on his forefinger. "Come on, Gibbs," called Jack "Le'sgo see what treasures this beaut'ee holds."

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Just minutes before on the Gremlin Flame...

"Aah, I'm almost there," whispered Lela to herself. Sitting daintily on the edge of the crow's nest with her legs crossed, Lela lowered the spyglass from her eye. She sneered, obviously pleased with herself. "Time for a little plunder'n'pillage." 

"All right men! Oh, um, and women!" Lela smirked and pointed in front of them. "There's the Black Pearl and La Diabla Liza." She gave an appreciative glance to Giselle. "Many thanks by the way, Zelly, for...persuading the information about the Pearl's whereabouts outta Jimmy-_Jim_-Jim-Jim Jimm." Giselle just rolled her eyes and smiled back. "Right. Here's the plan." Some of the crew stepped forward to listen. "We go in, swiftly and silently. The Pearl's crew will probably all be lootin' the ship, so we shouldn't have much trouble getting aboard. Sparrow's a stickler for tradition in piracy," her eyes narrowed slightly at the name, "so those moustache-ee-ode Degos'll be tied to the mast. Don't let 'em speak if ye can help it. When the Pearl's crew comes up and out from wherevuh they are, grab 'em, and make 'em be quiet. Tie them to the mast along with Liza's crew. Questions?" 

Conleth stepped next to Lela and asked quietly, "What should we do when we finds Sparrow?"

Lela's eyes flickered with anger and triumph and one more emotion that Conleth couldn't recognize. "Bring him to me."

Conleth ran his fingers over her cutlass. "Alive?" he asked, hope echoing in his voice.

"Alive," stated Lela firmly, the anger now directed at her first mate. He was slightly disappointed, but shrugged it off. "Right then," Lela said loudly. "You all know your jobs. Let's go." 

In less than a _minute_, the Gremlin Flame and Siren Fire had anchored on either side of La Diabla Liza and the Black Pearl. The crew quickly and quietly crawled onto the Spanish ship, only some of the new female crewmembers staying behind. Mr. Cotton had dozed off leaning against the rail, and was knocked unconscious by the butt of Brittany's sword. The bound sailors suddenly realised that they were being plundered _again_. Some started to cry out but Judith's sword found its way to line up with five Spanish throats. "Say one word and I'll kill you," she muttered. Conleth looked at her disapprovingly out of the side of his eyes, but he didn't say anything.

One by one, the rest of the Pearl's crew came up from below deck, and one by one they fell to the ground in unconsciousness. Lela's crew dragged each one to the mast and tied them upright along with the Liza's crew. After that, they sat and waited. Conleth and Judith stood outside the doors leading to the captain's quarters, waiting...

Inside the room, Jack suddenly noticed that it was very quiet. "Gibbs?" The first mate looked up from rummaging through the box of rubies and diamonds. 

"Aye?" Seeing Jack's worried expression he added, "What's the matter, Cap'n?" Jack shook his head and glanced suspiciously at the doors. 

"I don't know, Gibbs." Setting down several gold coins, Jack picked up his pistol while walking to the doors. "I'm gonna go out and see if ev'eyfthing's all right."

Opening the wooden doors, Jack glanced out at the mainmast where the Liza's crew was tied up. But... _What's Cotton doin' tied up **wiv** 'em?? _Opening the doors fully Jack began to walk out towards the mast. _What in all the hell's is goin'--___

"Wagh!" Jack yelled as two sets of strong arms grabbed his shoulders. Looking to the left and then to the right, he saw a slightly podgy man who looked to be about 50-something, and a younger woman with cold eyes. The three wrestled around for a moment, but two had beaten one. Binding his hands behind his back and taking away his sword and gun, the man pointed his own pistol at Jack's neck. 

"Ye'll be comin' along nicely, understand?" 

"Coming along to where?" asked Jack, almost fearing the knowledge.

"The Cap'n wasn't to see ya." At Jack's confused look, the man nodded his head towards the ship on his right, and Jack's left. "Yer goin' aboard the Siren Fire." With all of Jack's struggling, his crew began to stir. They saw their captain was in trouble and some tried to step forward and help him, but they soon discovered they tied to the mast and they couldn't move an inch. After telling the woman (he called her Judith) not to slaughter any of the men, the man (the woman had answered to him with "Whate're, Conleth") set down a plank so they could walk across the ships' rails and board the Siren Fire. _That name...Siren Fire..._

Conleth pushed Jack forward and told him not to dally about. He led Jack to a set of double swinging doors, intricately carved with silver and gold painted figures of wildcats. Some of the figures were merely stepping down from their perches on leaves. Others were viciously baring their teeth, and still more were gazing intently out at the spectator. Jack's inspection of the frightening doors was interrupted by Conleth prodding his pistol into his back. "I'm goin', I'm goin'."

          Jack stumbled into the cabin, and jerked around when he heard the doors slam sharply behind him. Shaking his head, he turned forward to look upon this 'captain' that Conleth was going on about. 

          On the railing of a tiny balcony that opened into the cabin, very femininely sat the captain, faced away, beaded twisted hair flowing out with the wind. _Cor, _Jack thought angrily, _this effeminate pansy thinks he can pirate **MY** ship does he? Well, _Jack began to walk forward, _I'm going to have to straighten this jackass's mind out a bit._ Jack was just about to start yelling at the captain when he...er..._she_ turned around. Jack's mouth dropped open, his breath was lost to him, and his kohl-lined eyes were wide with astonishment. 

          Captain Lela smiled with devious delight, strolled over to Jack, her prey, who was now helplessly in her clutches, and stood dangerously close to him, just not quite touching. His head fell forward trying to see this woman's face, his eyes growing wider and wider, filling with fear and disbelief. 

          Lela lifted her head, and expertly placed her lips right next to Jack's ear. She dreamily and seductively purred, "Well if it isn't my dearest Jack Sparrow?" Her brilliant sharp blue eyes met the deep brown ones of Jack Sparrow. He shakily drew in a breath, and she was obviously delighted with his terrified, unbelieving reaction. Her lips curved out into a wicked smirk and sharp feline teeth drew dangerously close to Jack's neck as she thickly breathed, "Hello love. Long time no see..."   

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**A/N: **Heh heh heh heh heh...I am wickedly, deviously, **_appallingly_** evil, am I not?****    

Review please...that is...if you really **_want _**another chapter.

Love,

~*Kitty*~

=^.^=


	11. Chapter 11

I Can't Ever Leave You

By Kitty =^.^= 

**A/N: **Ahoy m'dears! Here be another chapter. We must say, we are very proud of ourself. **_Eleven chapters_**. Il semble impossible, non? Lol... Okay, yeah, sorry that this is another 'every-other-day-of-wednes' chapter update. I had spring break last week so I was looking forward to being able to write a bunch-o-chapters. But my mom had had surgery the previous week so I had to take care of her all last week. Oy. Well, it's up now, and we have 71 reviewses!! I hope you all enjoy the reunion of Jack and Lela. Oh, dear readers, please do REVIEW, so I can keep going, je merci beaucoup. Oh yeah, and Happy Saint Patty's Day loves! Along wiv bein' a female pirate, did'ye know that Ibean Irish Garl?? Lol, all right, go enjoy the story, and this foine day; be merry and drink and bed many-a-fair lad (or lass, for the guys here...)! Oh yeah, and drink green beer, rum, and absinthe till ye think Oi'm yer goddess of fanfiction and worship me. Hmmm, that might not be bad actually... 

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          Captain Lela smiled with devious delight, strolled over to Jack, her prey, who was now helplessly in her clutches, and stood dangerously close to him, just not quite touching. His head fell forward trying to see this woman's face, his eyes growing wider and wider, filling with fear and disbelief. 

          Lela lifted her head, and expertly placed her lips right next to Jack's ear. She dreamily and seductively purred, "Well if it isn't my dearest Jack Sparrow?" Her sharp brilliant blue eyes met the deep brown ones of Jack Sparrow. He shakily drew in a breath, and she was obviously delighted with his terrified, unbelieving reaction. Her lips curved out into a wicked smirk and sharp feline teeth drew dangerously close to Jack's neck as she thickly breathed, "Hello love. Long time no see..."

HASHEEN!!!!!

          Jack couldn't do anything. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't feel his legs. The only thing he could do was stand there, mouth open, _trying _to say something, and _trying _to not fall over. "L...Lela?" From a side view, one could have seen the dark haired woman's smirk grow even wider. "H...How? When did ye...I thought...What..." Lela lifted her head away from the side of his neck and stared straight into his eyes. 

          "Oh dear," she cooed sympathetically, and then shouted, "someone! Call a doctor! _Jack Sparrow_...doesn't know what to say. How _very _odd." Jack stumbled back a few paces, his face growing paler with every passing second, as though he was seeing a ghost. 

Chuckling softly, Lela walked past him and walked on deck of the Siren Fire. "Conleth!" she called. "Take the Pearl's crew and put them in the brig. Same goes for La Diabla Liza's crew. Separate our men--and women--onto all four ships so they can be steered." The woman's first mate yelled back something that was unintelligible to Jack. Lela called back one more time and then walked back into the cabin, closing the door.

          "Wh...whe..." Jack took a breath to regain his composure. "Where are we going?" Lela smiled and almost glared at him. She sauntered over to him, like a lioness circling her quarry. 

          "Oh, I dunno," she silkily replied. "Just a lit'ul place called..." Lela delicately held up Jack's compass, her expression growing more pleased as Jack spun around, looking through his pockets and effects, and she finished her sentence, "Isla de Muerta."

          Poor Jack looked as he was going through a state of dé ja vous and couldn't figure out where he was. "How did ye get that? That was tied on...on the inside of me...the inside of..." Jack's eyes snapped wide open and stared at Lela, who just kept smiling deviously and running her fingers over the blade of her dagger. Jack narrowed his eyes as he said, "You..._sneaky_ lit'ul she-devil..."

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          Little less than an hour later, four ships were traversing across the ocean to the Isla de Muerta, the secret cache of treasure and loot for whatever pirate that was lucky enough to get his hands on that compass. And at the moment a woman held it, a female pirate who had just captured the infamous Black Pearl and its Captain Jack Sparrow. 

          The Black Pearl, La Diabla Liza, the Gremlin Flame, and the Siren Fire sailed close to each other; each of the ships were steered and crewed by those under the command of Captain Lela. Conleth steered the Siren Fire, which was leading the quartet of ships. He was the only one that Lela trusted the compass with. Occasionally, he called out to Caitlin, Brittany, and Chelsea, who were steering the other ships, to give them updates on where they were going and to provide a heads-up for when they were going to make sudden directional changes. 

Every now and then, Conleth would glance back behind him at the closed door that led to his captain's room. She was alone in there with Jack Sparrow. She hadn't told him much, but he knew that she and Jack had had a rather painful past. He never pressed her about it, though, despite his fierce curiosity. Conleth's brow furrowed with wonder. What could they be doing in there?

          Inside the captain's quarters, Lela was opening the boxes of things that had been collected from La Diabla Liza. A bit earlier she had told Jack to sit down and "make himself comfortable" but he was allowed to only after she removed every weapon from his person: his cutlass, his pistol, his sword, even a small grenado that was hidden in his shirt. 

After being permitted to sit, Jack tried to get his head together while his captor searched the loot, occasionally holding up a piece of jewellery that she liked. She wasn't looking at him. Why wasn't she looking at him? _Wait...do I **want **her to be looking at me? _

Jack looked up and looking in Lela's direction. Her back was turned to him, and mostly what he could see was her knee high boots, the bottom of her close-fitting breeches, and her long dark hair sweeping over her back. _It's grown really long, _he thought staring at it thoughtfully; _it's gone past her waist and down to her knees almost._ Jack expression softened as his eyes gazed at the girl he had known from so long ago. _No, not a girl. She's a woman. _Jack's vision began to cloud. _But she still as fair a thing as I remember her. _

Then it was as though someone had slapped him in the face, and he pushed those thoughts away. He hung his head while his arms pressed to his legs and his hands latched together in front of him. _I can't afford to be fthinking things like that when she has **captured** me. _Jack raised his head slightly and stared suspiciously at her. _I wonder **why **she did... _Jack's head lifted more at the sharp click of a box shutting. As Lela turned around, Jack made sure to avert his eyes and look extremely calm and collected. 

          Across the room, Lela smiled knowingly. The whole while she'd been sifting through the treasure, she had felt his eyes on her. _Poor Jack, _she amusedly thought, _I bet he's trying to figure out why he's here. _She knew she was right. She knew him better than anyone. Lela frowned and turned back around towards her desk. _I **do **know him better than anyone, but... _

She cautiously glanced over her shoulder to look at Jack. _I **can't **afford to think about him like that. _She looked back at the table in front of her. _He's my prisoner and I have to treat him as such. I can't **care **for him like I used to._ Lela squeezed her eyes shut against the tears that threatened to trickle forth. _But I **DO **still care for him. I still... _She opened her eyes again and straightened her posture. _I still... _Her bottom lip trembled ever so slightly. _I **still **l...lo..._

"So what are you planning to do exactly once we reach Isla de Muerta..." Jack paused to emphasise his sarcasm, "Captain?" Lela's head turned sharply sending long black tresses flying out, back, and around. Jack smiled with exaggeratedamiability. The captain's reaction only entailed rolling eyes and an aggravated grunt. "Well?" Jack persisted, who was also beginning to feel perturbed. 

          "If you must know..." she started...then paused...and didn't say anything more.

          "I must," Jack affirmed. Another irritated sigh. 

          "...I'm going to take everything there," she saw that Jack was going to interject a callous remark and added quickly, "using all four of these ships to carry ev'eyfthing, sell what I don't want, and keep what I _do_ want. Good for you?" 

Jack kept a straight face, looking very casual and replied, "No. No not really, luv." Lela flinched at the pet name, but smoothly recovered and walked to where Jack was sitting. 

"Oh," she said sadly, letting the sound flow slowly. Then finished brightly with, "Too bad!" For several moments, the two infamous pirates stared at each other, contempt filling their faces, but each noticed that something else was hidden behind the ill feeling...something in the eyes. They almost simultaneously turned from each other. "Just deal wiv it, Captain Sparrow..." Lela coldly smiled. "Savvy?" she asked mockingly. 

"Hold on there!" Jack exclaimed loudly. "That's _my _word, you're _not_ allowed to use it!" Lela scoffed.

"Your word? What makes you think it's _your _word, I came up wiv it first!"

"Ye did not, ye silly girl, **_I _**came up wiv it first!"

"Oh-ho-ho-hooo no, Sparrow, we are not going to have this argument again."

"Whaddya mean 'again'?" Jack asked bemused.

"We've been fighting who came up with that word first since we was lit'ul and back in Sleego!!" 

Jack noticed Lela's eyes grow wider and her mouth clamp shut, as though she had just made a terrible mistake mentioning their past. Well, Jack was not about to let her get away with it. Jack was still upset that Lela had used his word, but there were a few things that were more important than a word's origin that he needed to know. 

"Look, Lela," he stated heatedly, standing up to look at here face to face. "I dunno why ye've kidnapped me and moi crew, but I somehow doubt that's it's **_jest because _**of that compass and Isla de Muerta." 

Lela face filled with icy defiance, but her eyes gave her away: she was frightened of her telling Jack her true motives. Jack could see it. He **_knew _**it. He knew her better than anyone. _Aagh! Stop fthinking loike that, idiot!! _He waited for an answer, but Lela stood before him unflinchingly, audacious insolence swelling in her eyes. _Sorry, luv, ye're not gonna get off that easy. _

Jack stepped a pace closer staring down at Lela with intense bronze eyes. Lela looked right back at him but she leaned back away from him just a hair. Jack's eyes bored into her as he asked, "Why did ye go to so much trouble to find me, Lela?"

She felt as though her heart had stopped and her mind was reeling out of control. He had asked her the very question she had prayed that he would never ask. 

She couldn't lie to him. He'd know and just believe the opposite of whatever she told him. Damn. 

She couldn't just stay silent because then he would know exactly what she was thinking and confirm his beliefs. Damn. 

But she couldn't very well tell him the _truth _either. That was out of the question. Damn. 

So what was she supposed to do? Whatever she did, she would inevitably lose and Jack would know. DAMN. 

When he was just about to ask again, an idea came to her. "I wanted to find you so I could make you miserable." 

Jack's head tilted to the side. He was so **_sure_** that he'd been right about her reasons for finding him. He had thought that... Jack felt stomach knot. He had thought that she still cared for him. And she wanted to find him so she could win him back. "So ye could...make me miserable," Jack echoed faintly. 

Lela inclined her head. It hadn't been the truth...well, not the whole truth. The whole truth was that she wanted to find him so she could make him miserable and see if he still... Lela suppressed a quivering sigh. _I wanted to know if he still **cares **for me. _Quickly, she gave herself a hard mental shake. That wasn't important. Not right now. Anyway, her answer seemed to have distracted him from his query. Jack stepped just ever so slightly closer. "But...why?" Or maybe it hadn't. "Why do you want to make me miserable?" Lela turned her head to the side, not able to bare looking at him, looking into his eyes that had suggested understanding and even...affection? 

          "Why does it matter?" she countered, her voice pained and distant. 

          "Why don't you want to talk about the past?" Jack quietly argued. Even with her face turned away to the side, Jack would see her clench her teeth and her lips quiver. He lifted his right hand and, placing his forefinger on her cheek, gently turned her head back to face him. She tried to shake his hand off and back away from him, but he caught her chin between the side of his finger and the tip of his thumb, securing her head in place and making her eyes meet his own. She looked as though she might burst into tears but she stayed strong. 

Jack leaned forward, leaving almost no distance between them. "The past isn't going to go away, luv. We're gonna hafta talk about sometime." _Talk about how you **betrayed **me, _Jack thought with wounded pride. _Talk about how I offered you ev'eyfthing in the world you wanted: a ship, riches, adventure... _Jack reached up with his free hand and gripped Lela's shoulder. _ME. _Lela's lips trembled more despite her efforts to still them, and for once in her life she couldn't convey what Jack was thinking. Jack's grip tightened. _I gave you myself to you. My **heart**. _One last time, Jack asked the girl he held so dear the question she feared. "Why did you want to find me, Lela?" 

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**A/N: **Eep! I'm so happy. ELEVEN CHAPTERS!! **_E-LE-VEN!!! _**Do any of you **_realise _**what a feat this is for me?? The most I've ever kept up with a story before was TWO chapters. thoughtful silence That's rather sad, isn't it? sigh Ah well. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please REVIEW. I'm so excited to know what you all think of what's happened. How do you think Lela will answer Jack? She's already discerned that Jack is going to find out the truth no matter what. How will she tell him?? How will Jack react??? How you will you ever find out what happens if I don't stop writing this Author's Note?!?! silence Ah. Yes. Sorry. sheepish laugh I guess I better go write the next chapter so I can update next week. Buh-bye luvs! scurries off to write more and eat much rainbow cream ice cream 

Fare thee well, safe journeys, and I'll be in Scotland a'fore ye!! 

Love,

~*Kitty*~

    =^.^=


	12. Chapter 12

I Can't Ever Leave You

By Kitty =^.^= 

**A/N: **Bonjour mon chéries! Luckily, this chapter comes the week after I last updated. Aren't you happy? silence Well??? silence Hello?! reaches out from the screen and knocks you on the head Is this thing on? Dear readers, it is CHAPTER 12!! Are you not proud of me? silence quietly growls Alright fine. Yeesh, you all had better be more peppy at the end of the story! swishes cape I'll be back! scurries off into the shadows 

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"Why don't you want to talk about the past?" Jack quietly argued. Even with her face turned away to the side, Jack could see her clench her teeth and her lips quiver. He lifted his right hand and, placing his forefinger on her cheek, gently turned her head back to face him. She tried to shake his hand off and back away from him, but he caught her chin between the side of his finger and the tip of his thumb, securing her head in place and making her eyes meet his own. She looked as though she might burst into tears but she stayed strong. 

Jack leaned forward, leaving almost no distance between them. "The past isn't going to go away, luv. We're gonna hafta talk about it sometime." _Talk about how you **betrayed **me, _Jack thought with wounded pride. _Talk about how I offered you ev'eyfthing in the world you wanted: a ship, riches, adventure... _Jack reached up with his free hand and gripped Lela's shoulder. _ME. _Lela's lips trembled more despite her efforts to still them, and for once in her life she couldn't convey what Jack was thinking. Jack's grip tightened. _I gave you myself to you. My **heart**. _One last time, Jack asked the girl he held so dear the question she most feared. "Why did you want to find me, Lela?"

HASHEEN!!!

Now it was Lela who could not move or think. Her mind was racing, her palms were sweating, her mouth had gone dry; Jack had her cornered and there was no way that she could back out. He probably had already figured out the answer so why was he asking? 

Lela opened her mouth to say something, anything, but no sound came. Licking her lips and taking a quiet breath, she tried again. "But why would you need to ask me, Ja--Sparrow?" she scoffed, trying to feign blasé unconcern. "**_Surely_** you already know the answer?" Jack almost smiled. Almost. She really hadn't changed at all; she still tried to deflect a question she didn't want to answer till the very end, even when it was already too late. 

"I might," Jack answered, leaning even closer to Lela's face. Beneath his fingers, he felt her arm grow stiff and rigid, and a quick glance downward told him her hands were clenched. "But..." His forehead was barely a scant millimetre Lela's. "...I thought I moight ask you. Ya know," Jack ignored the dizzying fragrance that drifted from her hair, "jest to be sure I was right. You _know _how I can't stand to be wrong." He saw her eyes glaze over, and just when he thought he'd caught her...

"I do," she spat back, roughly pushing away his hand that held her face captive. "Quite well, actually." 

Lela turned away and folded her arms across her chest, causing some of her hair to fly back and hit Jack in the face. Closing his eyes to the black whips that lashed against his face, he walked forward and quickly pulled Lela's right arm behind her back. When she struggled, he brought her left arm up, his fingers locking around her wrist. She tried to kick him, but his ankle shot in front of and around hers, bracing it into immobility. 

A little less than a minute passed while Lela struggled like a bird trying to fly away from a hunting cat, and Jack just kept knocking her back down to the ground. She kept struggling, but Jack would not let her go. 

She felt the barrier that she had built up over the past years, the one that held back her tears, held in her anger, and shut out anything she didn't want, was weakening, deteriorating, eroding. At any moment she felt it might shatter and break altogether. 

Her exertions became more and more exhausted and they were fewer and farther between. Lela's shoulders thrashed from side to side and her eyes wanted to close to flush out the tears. She finally bit her lip to keep it from shaking. Everything was blurred and swimming before her eyes, her breaths coming in short shallow pants. She slowly and finally stopped moving but still tried with one last bit of energy to walk away. 

Jack wouldn't have it; he let go of her arms and her leg and crushed her back against him, preventing any escape. His right hand clutched her left shoulder, while his left hand grasped her right hip. 

Bowing her head in shame, Lela knew she couldn't win. 

She'd lost. She'd lost the day, the hour, the minute, _the second_ she'd fallen in love...with Jack. 

Lela sighed and half-closed her eyes. Her muscles ached from all the fighting and she was tired. Tired of fighting. Tired of denying. Tired of lying. Just...tired. She had given in to nothing for so long, except for any distraction that would make her forget. She had given in to everything, except for anything that would make her admit what she did not want to.

Jack held her close to him, refusing to let her go without an answer. In spite of himself, he nuzzled his nose and chin and forehead against her soft hair and neck. Even if he'd said he'd hated her, even if he'd thought that he'd never love her again, Jack knew that it wasn't true. Maybe it had been foolish, a future-pirate falling in love with such a beautiful, spirited, intelligent girl, or even falling in love at all. But it had happened; he _had _fallen in love with her. Partly because...he'd thought... _I thought **she **loved me too. _

The room was spinning. Lela was hardly breathing. Her vision was becoming blotchy and she felt faint. Spots swam before her eyes and her chest heaved in and out, hard, and her mind threatened to black out on her. With sheer force of will, Lela brought her breathing under control. And at long last after seven years, Lela closed her eyes and those salty drops that she hated so much called 'tears,' fell forth, slowly, unbearably so, down her cheeks, darkening her pale skin. 

Outside, thunder rumbled from the sky, and shook the ship. Soft, placid drops of rain showered down, as though heaven itself were crying, trying to wring out the pain through the clouds.

Jack pressed close to Lela, with almost no fury left in him, but a desperate need to know the truth. His right hand lifted from her shoulder and he reached to touch her cheek. Although he was surprised and perplexed when he felt his fingers touch hot wet streams of tears, he brought his lips next to her ear, closed his eyes, and quietly repeated his question in one word: "Why?" 

Lela tightened her eyelids together and she began to hyperventilate again. She wanted to stay strong and give him his answer without crying like a little girl so he wouldn't think less of her. But she felt her legs starting to give way, and her feet began to slide to their respective sides. _No, _she thought distraughtly, _I'm not weak, I'm not. _Her calves followed her feet and slid down to the wooden floor. _Stupid, you are weak. If you weren't weak, you'd have told him already and not hid from him like a coward._ Lela's knees were almost touching the floor. _Fine, I am weak. But **Jack **can't know! _

Jack was worried at seeing Lela like this. It seemed her very frame was crumbling away. Of course he'd known that she wouldn't give in easily, she was too headstrong and iron-willed. That was one of the reasons he loved her so much. But she looked like she was being murdered and he felt as though he was the one breaking her. To try and comfort her, as well as himself, Jack sank down to the floor with her, his fingers involuntarily stroking her damp cheek. 

Barely noticing that he had not let go of her or loosened his grip on her, Lela continued to collapse to the ground. _I don't want him to think I'm weak, but..._ Lela's legs were finally flat on the floor. _But **I **want to know if he still... _The continuous motion of Jack's fingers rubbing her cheek finally reached her. _If he still loves me. _"I wanted to find you," Lela quietly began, "because..." Her voice faltered but she tried again. "Because..."

"Be-cause?" Jack offered, whispering. Lela's hands wanted to fly up and cover her face but she refused them.

"Because...I...I..."

"You...?"

Lela face tilted forward, her hair creating a veil around her, and she answered. "Because I love you." 

Behind her, Jack was filled with happiness. He wanted to kiss her he was so overflowing with ecstasy. But then, he was confused. If Lela still loved him, then why...**_why _**had she been... The old anger rose up again, but it had softened. Lela was telling the truth. He knew it. She did love him. As hard as he knew it was for her, he was going to have to ask her more questions. But if he could have seen Lela's face at that moment, he would've known that his time for asking questions was over, and her interrogation was about to begin. 

"There," she choked out. "You have your answer, Jack." Even though he was happy that she was using his name again, he was confused at why her voice sounded angry. "Now **_I _**have a question of my own." Lela slid from his arms and did her best to stand straight while he was still sitting on the floor. Trying to point an accusing finger at him while keeping her arm still proved hopeless, so she ended up holding her hands out to the side in a questioning, bewildered, and pleading pose. "**_Why_**...?" Lela took a breath to keep her voice from quavering. "Why did you leave Sleego, Jack?" On the floor, Jack's forehead creased in confusion. "Why did you leave Ireland?" Lela pulled back her hands and she hugged herself, head hanging, her tears dropping freely down to the ground. "Why did you leave **_me_**?" she whispered, the pain evident in her murmured sobs. Jack hesitated for a moment, but finally answered.

"I felt I had to leave," he said quietly, his hands hanging at his sides. "I didn't want to have to face you."

"But **_why_**?" implored Lela. "I don't understand. What happened that would make you want to not see me?" 

Jack's eyes shot up and looked at her. "What happened?" he said, louder than before. "What _happened_?!" Springing up from the floor, Jack stood straight and glared at Lela, his ache and sorrow and rage and anguish rekindling. Her confession had been the spark, and her question was the fan that set the fire ablaze. "You betrayed me!" Lela looked up with miserable confusion on her face. "You deceived me, belittled my trust!" Lela's eyes burned hot with anger and levelled her stance to stare Jack in the face.

"What the **_hell _**are you talking about?!" she screamed. "I never lied to you, not once!"

"Maybe not to my face you didn't," Jack responded, "but ye certainly did a good job of it when I wasn't around!"

"You're mad, you're bloody fucking mad!"

"Am I?!"

"Yes!!"

"Wicked girl!"

"Idiot boy!"

"Good-for-nofthing wench!!!"

_Slap!_

Jack's head whipped back, his hands flying up to soothe the stinging blow. Looking back at Lela, her hand was raised in warning, should he choose to malign her like that again. 

"I've told you: NEVER, call me a wench!"

Jack looked away nearly ashamed of what he'd done. Maybe that one...he did deserve. Suddenly he hissed in pain, and his hand drew back from his cheek. Gazing down, he saw a thin line of blood marked on the palm of his hand. Lela turned back to Jack instantly when she had heard his pained grunt. While Jack rubbed the blood off his hand, Lela plainly saw the cut to his cheek. She held up her right hand and regretfully saw a speck of blood on the opal of the silver band that enclosed her ring finger. Sighing, she walked to her desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a pure white cloth. She took her ring off and wiped it clean, set it on the desk, then walked back over to Jack, who was incessantly touching the cut and cringing in pain. Gently, she pushed him onto a chair while she sat on the table. 

Before Lela could try and touch the gash, Jack flinched and pulled back. "Wh-what, what're ye doin'?" Lela tried again to place the cloth against his cheek. 

"Tryin' to get the blood off yer cheek."

"I-It don'mattuh, leave it be!"

"Don't be such a baby!"

"I am _not _a baby, luv."

"Then sit _still_." With his continued refusal, Lela made one last statement to still him. "Ye wannit to crust up and fill with pus and ruin yer looks forevuh?" For some reason, Jack froze and didn't make another move. Lela smirked. "Thas'wha I thought." Since he was finally not moving anymore, Lela began to tenderly dab at the wound she'd inflicted. Jack winced every so often, but didn't move. "I'm sorry, by the way," she murmured. "I shouldna slapped ye." Lela reached onto the table and dipped the cloth into a bowl of water. "It weren't right of me." She gently washed the blood from Jack's cheek and wiped it clean. "I'm sorry." 

Jack was confused. One minute they had been at each other's throats, the next, she was tending to the cut on his cheek, that _she'd _given him, like she was a mother fussing over her little boy. And he was acting like a little boy too. He thought about how funny it would be if he hugged her and said, "It still hurts, kiss it and make it better." He started to chuckle softly and Lela looked up from her work. 

"Whas'so funny then?" she asked, wary because she wasn't in on the joke. Jack shook his head, still smiling although it hurt his cheek, and Lela put down the cloth.

"Nofthing," Jack answered most innocently.

"Nofthing?"

"Nofthing."

"Are you sure?"

"No."

"Jack!"

"Sorry, sorry, meant nofthing of offence, luv, nofthing of offence."

Lela smiled and lightly knocked Jack on the head as she got up. She'd missed that: joking around with him. Life had seemed so much duller without Jack, even when she was firing cannons, steering ships, and fighting with pirates. It was odd though, how they seemed to switch from almost killing each other to teasing each other. It was odd...but fun. Sighing, she walked outside to the deck and looked over the Gremlin Flame. "Conleth!" she called. After a moment, the first mate looked back at her from the wheel.

"Aye, Cap'n?"he yelled back.

"How long do ye'spose it'll be a'fore we'll be at Isla de Muerta?" 

"Mayhap an hour or so?"

"Right then." Lela walked back into her cabin and closed the door. Turning back around she saw Jack casually lounging in his chair. He was picking at his nails concentrated very hard on them... "Whaddid ye do?" Lela asked accusingly. Jack looked up at stared innocently back at her with big naïve eyes.

"Whaddya mean 'whaddid Oi do'? I didn't do nofthing." Lela narrowed her eyes and marched over to Jack and leaned over the table till their noses were almost touching. 

"Oh _really_?"

"Really."

"Hmm..." She reached forward and tilted Jack's chin up, completely capturing his attention, and gazing deep into his eyes. His mouth slightly opened and closed a few times as though he were trying to say something but couldn't quite get that accomplished. Lela whispered, "Then..." and she held up her opal ring. "What's this doin' in yer pocket?" Jack's eyes shifted from side to side for a moment, but then they opened wide and he frantically looked around and waved his hands. 

"Wh-where am I?" he shouted. "What am I doin' 'ere?!" Lela rolled her eyes and pulled back while Jack continued to wander around hysterically asking to no one in particular where he was. She moved her hand to put her ring back on her finger...but she no longer had it. 

"What the...?" She looked around on and under the table and turned her hands all around to try and find it. Suddenly she remembered Jack roaming around, and she closed her eyes tightly and touched her forehead lightly. On the ground, Lela turned around sitting with her legs folded under her and she looked at Jack. After a moment he noticed she'd finally looked back at him. He stopped with his back facing her, and he turned to the side slightly and held up the vanished ring, waving it back and forth and smiling with that horrendous, devilish smirk of his. 

"You're not the only clever thief on this ship, luv."

Lela shook her head, rolled her eyes again, and sighed, raising her hands in defeat. "Whatever ye say, Jack, whatever ye say."

"Absolutely, whatever I say, glad to hear you finally figured it out." He laughed and swayed over to sit down next to her. "Here." Lela held out her hand, palm up, thinking he was going to give her the ring so she could put it back on. But he didn't give it to her. Instead, he turned her hand over lifted it up a little, seizing the finger the silver band belonged on. She raised her eyebrow and looked a little tense but didn't really move.

Jack started to slip it back on her finger, but stopped and held it back up to his eyes. Lela squinted her eyes trying to see whatever it was that Jack found interesting in her ring. It held two tiny diamonds studs adorning the rounded opal in the centre. The fine, thinner-than-hair cracks and fissures refracted the light creating streaks of dappled colours against the milky white jewel. Jack bit at his bottom lip. "I gave this to you...didn't I?" Lela gulped, hesitating for a moment before she slowly nodded. 

"Um, yeah. Ye did. It was a, um..." Jack laid her right hand on her knee and lifted the left one, running his fingertips against the smooth sharp edges of her nails. "It...it was...well, you gave it to me as..." Lela watched apprehensive and nervous but almost excited, and Jack put his hand under her fingers, raising the second to last one. "As a..." Jack placed the ring at the tip of her finger and gazed at it through half-closed eyes. "...wedding ring," Lela breathlessly finished. Jack looked up from the ring and into Lela's eyes. A wedding ring... He had given it to her as an engagement gift, so she would always remember how much he loved her. No standard, ordinary, plain diamond rings for his girl, no. This ring was special and unique, just like her. Not gold, it was too conspicuous and bawdy. Silver; soft, delicate, beautiful. Just like her. 

"Lela..."  Jack whispered, almost as a question.

"Y...yes?"

"I..." Jack barely got the one word out of his mouth before he stopped, and leaned forward slightly. Lela was scared and her mind was screaming, _Don't do this!!! _But she was too...what, entranced? Yes... Lela began to lean forward too. Entranced by Jack. Who cared about what had happened? She didn't. And Jack didn't seem to either. Her eyes fluttered more a second and slipped closed as Jack reached up to hold the side of her face...

_Knock, knock._

"Who's there?!" screamed Lela, flying back away from Jack.

"Cap'n?" It was Conleth. 

"Damn it to hell..." she muttered. Still sitting on the floor, she called back, "What is it then?"

"Isla de Muerta is in sight. We'll be there within a quarter-hour." Lela looked towards the door, confused. An hour had passed already? But she and Jack had been there for what only seemed like...just a few minutes. _Time just **flies** when you're having fun dunnit? _Lela clenched her teeth and would've slapped her mind had it been a real person. 

"Right then," she yelled, but softer. Jack and Lela listened to the heavy footsteps grow quieter as Conleth walked away and then across the plank back onto the Gremlin Flame. Lela glanced back to see Jack's fingers recede from hers over to the other hand. He replaced the ring to its original spot on her right hand, and then pulled away and looked down. Had he been looking, he would've seen the tears returning to Lela's eyes.

Before he saw her coming, Lela had leaned forward to him, practically falling into him, and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her legs had straightened out and then loosely curled up against her while her head laid against Jack's chest. He was too surprised and confused to say anything so he did the one thing he could think of: he hugged her back. Each tightened their grasp on the other, Jack laying his head on top of Lela's, and Lela snuggling further into Jack's embrace. There they stayed for a number of minutes unknown to both. The world stopped for a moment and the past and present was forgotten. There was only Jack and Lela. And each wished to be lost in that single moment in time for the rest of forever.   

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**A/N: **Yay, c'est fin. Well, not completely the end, I'm FAR from being done. The chapter's done. What did ye fthink luvs? Remember to review. Oh yeah, I wanted to throw in somefthing directly in the chapter, but I didn't want to ruin the moment. Remember when "she felt the barrier...was weakening, deteriorating, eroding"? I couldn't help but think of Jim Carrey in **_Bruce Almighty_** when he said "Eroding! _Eeerooooding!!_" Lol, one of my favourite parts. Ah well... Tune in next week for another exciting chapter of **_I Can't Ever Leave You_**!!! thoughtful blank stare I just sounded like an announcer off a daytime TV soap opera, didn't I? hangs head in shame Oh, dear...

Fare thee well, safe journeys, and I'll be in Scotland a'fore ye!!

Drink and be merry and bed many-a-fair lad!! (Or...ye know...'lass' for any guys here...ahem...yes...)

Love,

~*Kitty*~

    =^.^=


	13. Chapter 13

I Can't Ever Leave You

By Kitty =^.^= 

**A/N: **I'm sorry, m'dears. It looks like Chapter 13 is gonna be one of those 'every other Day of Wednes' chapters. Last week, there were some problems with FFN and I didn't want to take a chance uploading stuff when it wouldn't get on there. Also, I'm working on a movie for theology class and it's been kind of a bumpy ride. I'm sorry last time I said 'next week' and it's an 'ev'ey other week.' It's like that sometimes, every week or every other, it depends on how my week is going. 

ERIC: If it's going bad, don't be mean to her! crying She tried **_so _**hard!!

Eric, you don't need to cry about it. But thank you. 

ERIC: But I **_do _**need to cry about it!! falls to knees Why is the world so cruuuu-eell?!?!?

Ugh, stop crying!! Please! I don't like to see you cry! What can I give you?

ERIC: stops abruptly Hmmm... devious smile

Eric...?? edges away Why are you looking at me like that??

ERIC: How about you give me... opens eyes wide and wiggles eyebrows suggestively a _cook-ie_?

raises eyebrow A cookie? realises what he means Oh no. Oh-ho-ho-ho-hooooooo no! I'm not giving you a **_cookie_**!

ERIC: thinks about it How 'bout a cracker?

No. Nuttin'. 

ERIC: still won't let go of the idea Mutton?

Grrr... storms off

ERIC: WAA-AAGH!! Wait! Kitty! like "Fee-he-he-he-he-he-he-eeny!" Ki-i-i-i-i-i-itty!!!!

Ah well. Things are mostly the same with me. I'm still forgetful, I still don't have a dog, I still don't own PotC--

ERIC: And I'm **_still_** Kitty's Muse!! Bou-ya, baby! Oh yeah, who's yer muse? Oh yeah, who's yer muse?

Oh yeah. sigh That too. Eric's still my Muse.

ERIC: YYEESSS!!!

Ugh, Eric, calm down, we gotta start the chapter!

ERIC: If I calm down will you give me a cookie? wiggles eyebrows suggestively again

No. I **_told _**you, I'm not gonna give you a sarcastically "cookie."

ERIC: How 'bout a biscuit??

No. No, cookies, crackers, mutton, or biscuits, I told you ye get **_nofthing_**!!

ERIC: Muffins???

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! runs away with Eric chasing her

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"Isla de Muerta is in sight. We'll be there within a quarter-hour." Lela looked towards the door, confused. An hour had passed already? But she and Jack had been there for what only seemed like...just a few minutes. _Time just **flies** when you're having fun dunnit? _Lela clenched her teeth and would've slapped her mind had it been a real person. 

"Right then," she yelled, but softer. Jack and Lela listened to the heavy footsteps grow quieter as Conleth walked away and then across the plank back onto the Gremlin Flame. Lela glanced back to see Jack's fingers recede from hers over to the other hand. He replaced the ring to its original spot on her right hand, and then pulled away and looked down. Had he been looking, he would've seen the tears returning to Lela's eyes.

Before he saw her coming, Lela had leaned forward to him, practically falling into him, and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her legs had straightened out and then loosely curled up against her while her head laid against Jack's chest. He was too surprised and confused to say anything so he did the one thing he could think of: he hugged her back. Each tightened their grasp on the other, Jack laying his head on top of Lela's, and Lela snuggling further into Jack's embrace. There they stayed for a number of minutes unknown to both. The world stopped for a moment and the past and present was forgotten. There was only Jack and Lela. And each wished to be lost in that single moment in time for the rest of forever. 

~,~'{@ * ~,~'{@ * ~,~'{@ ***** @}'~,~ * @}'~,~ * @}'~,~

          Jack and Lela just sat there like that, embracing each other, never wanting to stop, wanting to forget, and silently pleading an impossible request that they wouldn't have to leave.

          But the fact was, that time moved forward. They had to stop. They couldn't forget. They had to leave.

          Again, before Jack could realise what she was doing, Lela stood up, pulling away from his warm form. Standing tall, she walked to her desk where her hat was and stiffly and formally put it back on. 

Jack was still sitting on the floor when she turned around again, and when their eyes met, Jack knew things could never be the same as they once were. She stared into him, obviously thinking the same things as he was. Thinking that it wasn't fair that time could not cease for them, and that things never would be the same. Lela walked back over to him, pulled him up, and putting her hands on her hips stood as imposingly as she could in her present condition. 

Her voice cracked slightly as she announced, "When we get to Isla de Muerta, Mr. Sparrow," she savoured his flinch at the informal address, "We are going to clean it out. Anyfthing we can manage to carry, we will. You're going to help my crew and yours along with those Spaniards to form a chain to get ev'eyfthing back to me ships." 

She roughly turned him and grasped his hands, pulling them behind his back. She pulled a coil of rope from the pouch at her waist. She began to tie them, tightly, wanting them to leave a mark. "Anyfthing that we can't hold in the ships wivout them sinking, we'll leave," she said as she jerked the rope around his wrists.

"What're ye going to do wiv me crew and...meself, once you get ev'eyfthing ye want from the cache?" Jack asked.

"Dunno," Lela answered honestly. "I moight keep ye wiv us for a lit'ul while and then drop ye back at Tortuga in a few months."

"And what of the Pearl?" he enquired worriedly. "What're gonna do wiv ou..._moi_...ship?" Lela looked up from her work on tying his hands and stopped for a bit. What had he almost said? He had finished with **_my ship_**, but he said something before that, or rather, partially said it. **_Our _**_ship?_

"I'm not ezattly sure yet," she thought aloud. "I moight keep it wiv the Gremlin Flame and the Siren Fire." She smiled and mockingly speculated, "Or perhaps I should sell it. It _would _fetch a pretty penny. What do ye fthink of that, Jack?" 

"Hold on then! Ye're not serious are ye?!" Lela laughed softly.

"Of course not, ye stupid twit," she said. "What kind of harebrained fool would I be if I let somefthing so magnificent get away?" Both Jack and Lela paused for a moment, both wondering about her statement. Both thought of the same double-meaning, and both shook their heads and ignored their thoughts.

"Well that's all foine and good that ye want to keep it," Jack said with a rising tone, "but I intend to escape and take back what's mine." Once more, the two pirate captains thought of an almost hoped-for implication, and dismissed the thought.

"Am I about to lose my mind," Lela began in a playful chagrining voice, "or are the words 'I have a cunning plan' marching with ill-deserved confidence in the direction of this conversation?" 

"Yes, actually they are," replied Jack. 

"Well, be that as it may, Mr. Sparrow, you must remember that your 'cunning plans' are really never that clever."

"Perhaps not **_all _**of 'em," Jack agreed abashedly, "but this one's **_really _**cunning."

"How cunning?"

"Oooh, it's quite cunning, luv."

"Quite cunning you say?"

"**_Deviously _**cunning."

"And what, pray tell, is this...**_deviously _**cunning plan you've concocted?" Silence. "What, you're not going to tell me?"

"**_That_** is the most cunning bit," Jack answered proudly, licking his lips.

"Ugh," Lela groaned, "you really are still such a cute lit'ul tot."

"Oy! I'm not a tot!" Jack tilted his head and thought for a moment. "However, I shall agree with you that Oi am terribly cute." Lela sighed again.

"And you **_still _**have the biggest ego in the world."

"Well, maybe not the **_biggest_**," Jack chuckled suggestively. Lela's eyes rose abruptly and flicked the back of his head. "Ow!"

"**_And_** you also still****have one of the dirt-iest moinds I have **_ever _**come across."

"From what I've 'eard, you've come across a lot," Jack whispered icily. Behind him, Lela looked as though she had been stabbed through the heart with an icicle, but her eyes burned hot with rage. Of all the things to say, of all the things to call her... 

There were several things one **_never _**said to Captain Lela Bratchkep. One: "A woman can't be a pirate." Two: "Wench!" And three was the worst of all that she could not abide under **_any _**circumstances: calling her or implying any words that were synonymous with jezebel, courtesan, whore, slut...

"You say that I betrayed you, Jack," she whispered, her voice thick with tears, "and if I in some way did, you have my apology and I ask for forgiveness." Jack grunted quietly in pain and she gave an extra hard tug at the rope encircling his wrists. 

She leaned over his shoulder and hissed indignantly in his ear, "But you left me wivout so much as a 'Goodbye, bitch, sod off, I hope I never see ye again.' Nofthing." In spite of herself, she leaned her forehead against Jack's shoulder and tears spilled out of her eyes, soaking several spots on his shirt. "Nofthing," she whispered again, "not a word." Her shaky hands dropped from his wrists and splayed out across his chest. "I never knew where ye'd gone or why," she sobbed quietly, barely retaining comprehensible words. "I never knew if somefthing horrible had happened to ye, or if ye just decided to leave 'cause ye got bored wiv me..."

Jack's eyes widened. All that he was hearing...could she be telling the truth? Or was she just acting? Jack knew she was a terribly good actress and could be an even better liar, but something in the way she was saying those things made him believe her. He felt guilt prickle at the back of his mind. He **_hadn't _**said anything to her. He had just upped and left because... 

_Because you were afraid to face her_. 

The old psyche imp was once again with him. 

_Because you were cowardly and terrified of what she'd say. _

Jack shook his head slightly, trying to make that stupid conscience go away. 

_You were afraid of her rejecting you and casting you aside. _

The shakes began more forceful while he still felt Lela's tears soaking through his shirt and touching his skin, burning hot. 

_You didn't want her to leave you and so you took the easy way out and left **her **instead...to protect **yourself**. _

Jack's mind scoffed at him. 

_Selfish lit'ul bastard. _

Jack tried to reach up and caress her hands but then remembered they had been bound. Instead, he just leaned his head to the side and nuzzled against her hair. "Damn it, luv..." he whispered into the soft black strands. "I was..." Jack ignored the nails digging into his flesh as Lela's sobs became more strangled and she tried to cling to him to keep them in. "I was selfish," he sighed, his self-disappointment evident. "I was afraid that...that you didn't..." He faltered slightly, almost afraid of actually saying it. "I was afraid you didn't...love me anymore..." Jack felt Lela stir and she looked up at him with reddened eyes. 

"Not love you anymore?" she repeated, bewildered. "Jack, we were friends all our lives. We began courting when I was but 14. Barely a year later, you...ye..." She hung her head, wounded pride and the feeling of abandonment being revived. "You asked me to marry you," she whispered. "I said **_yes_**, Jack. I said yes, and I meant it." She gave a tearful chuckle. "You even tried to **_discourage _**me later, saying that you had nofthing, that we'd never live comfortably, and that I should go find someone who deserved me--"

"Even though there isn't such a person," Jack finished for her, "but ye should find someone more worthy than me." Jack took a deep intake of breath and Lela still clung to his rising and falling chest.

"But I didn't leave you, Jack," she reminded him. "I told you--"

"That you'd always love me, you'd never leave me," Jack interrupted again, and finished with, "that you never **_could_** leave me..."

"Yes..." Closing her eyes, Lela made all the tears leave her. With one last deep sigh, she stepped away from him, but when he tried to step back, she stilled him and shook her head. "I have to go speak with Conleth," she said quietly. "Just stay here until I come for you." Only after a moment's thought, she leaned forward and gently placed her lips on his cheek, kissing him tenderly. Then, with a reassuring yet acidic tone, she bid him farewell: "And **_I will _**come back for you, luv. Whatever happens." And she stepped away and walked to the door, letting Jack barely hear her final whispered word. "Always."

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**A/N: **marches around waving hands Yaaaay, for Chapter 13! Yaaaay, for Chapter 13! Eric bounds in and spins Kitty around Ack! Eric, put me down!

ERIC: like Cartman NO!

whining But whyyy-hy-hy-hyyyyyy?!?!

ERIC: You didn't gimme a cookie.

Eric, baby, I said I was sorry!

ERIC: You're not sorry. plops Kitty down on couch You're **_evil_**!!

Grr, look, if it'll make you feel better, here's a cookie.

ERIC: Yay! Eeeheheheheee... closes eyes and puckers up

sticks a Girl Scout Piñata cookie in Eric's mouth

ERIC: opens eyes muffled Heeey!!

Alright, ev'eyone, time to go REVIEW!! Yaaaay, for Chapter 13! Yaaaay, for Chapter 13! dances away to write more

ERIC: muffled Geh baa heer!! tries to jump up and chase her I'mm gonn geh ye--AAAGH!! falls to ground and notices hands and feet are tied Aaagh, maan, cahm oon!! hops in Kitty's direction

Love,

~*Kitty*~

   =^.^=


	14. Chapter 14

I Can't Ever Leave You

By Kitty =^.^= 

**A/N: **Good day, m'dears. And how have we been since last week? Good I hope, for if you haven't been, those of you with parents may have banned you from FFN!! And that would not be good. 

ERIC: Because then you guys wouldn't be able to read Kitty's and my funny conversations!

Eric, I somehow think that these guys read the story more than they read our conversations.

ERIC: Well they **_should _**read our chats. They're funny, eehehehehee!!

'_O;  Um, yeah. Ok, I think it's time to go to the story. Please review luvs!

ERIC: Review, review, review, review, eeeeheheheheheheee!!!!!

Oh wait! 

EIRC: What??

I forgot.

ERIC: WHAT???

Some people have told me that they've gotten a little confused at the "timeline" of this story, the ages of the characters, when things happened, etc., etc., etc.!! So here

*1600: Rum is invented (sorry, had to put that in there ^_^)

*1652: Jack is born in Sleego, Ireland

*1654: Lela is born Sleego, Ireland

* 1655: Jack and Lela start to become friends through their parents, Lela-1, Jack-3

* 1658: Will is born in Someplace, England; Lela-4, Jack-6

* 1659: Elizabeth is born in Someplace, England; Lela-5, Jack-7

* 1661: Jack and Lela find their hiding spot in JSM, Lela-7, Jack-9

* 1668: Lela turns 14 and the PotC fic begins, Jack is 16

* 1669: Jack proposes to Lela and she says 'yes'; Lela-15, Jack-17

* 1670: Jack leaves Sleego, Ireland and Lela to become a pirate on The Black Pearl; Lela-16, Jack-18

* 1671: Jack loses The Black Pearl to his mutinous 1st mate Barbosa; Lela-17, Jack-19

* later 1671: Elizabeth and Will Turner meet; Liz-12, Will-13; Lela-17, Jack-19

* 1672: Lela leaves Sleego, Ireland for unknown reason; Lela-18, Jack-20

* 1681: The Cursed Black Pearl Crew led by Barbosa attack Port Royal and kidnap Elizabeth; Liz-22, Will-23; Lela-27, Jack-29

* later 1681: Jack and Lela meet up again after 11 years on Lela's ship the Siren Fire; Lela-27, Jack-29; Liz-22, Will-23; Liz and Will are to be married

I did the math and ev'eyfthing is in order so don't get mad at me!! Now, please enjoy the story.

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Jack tried to reach up and caress her hands but then remembered they had been bound. Instead, he just leaned his head to the side and nuzzled against her hair. "Damn it, luv..." he whispered into the soft black strands. "I was..." Jack ignored the nails digging into his flesh as Lela's sobs became more strangled and she tried to cling to him to keep them in. "I was selfish," he sighed, his self-disappointment evident. "I was afraid that...that you didn't..." He faltered slightly, almost afraid of actually saying it. "I was afraid you didn't...love me anymore..." Jack felt Lela stir and she looked up at him with reddened eyes. 

"Not love you anymore?" she repeated, bewildered. "Jack, we were friends all our lives. We began courting when I was but 14. Barely a year later, you...ye..." She hung her head, wounded pride and the feeling of abandonment being revived. "You asked me to marry you," she whispered. "I said **_yes_**, Jack. I said yes, and I meant it." She gave a tearful chuckle. "You even tried to **_discourage _**me later, saying that you had nofthing, that we'd never live comfortably, and that I should go find someone who deserved me--"

"Even though there isn't such a person," Jack finished for her, "but ye should find someone more worthy than me." Jack took a deep intake of breath and Lela still clung to his rising and falling chest.

"But I didn't leave you, Jack," she reminded him. "I told you--"

"That you'd always love me, you'd never leave me," Jack interrupted again, and finished with, "that you never **_could_** leave me..."

          "Yes..." Closing her eyes, Lela made all the tears leave her. With one last deep sigh, she stepped away from him, but when he tried to step back, she stilled him and shook her head. "I have to go speak with Conleth," she said quietly. "Just stay here until I come for you." Only after a moment's thought, she leaned forward and gently placed her lips on his cheek, kissing him tenderly. Then, with a reassuring yet acidic tone, she bid him farewell: "And **_I will _**come back for you, luv. Whatever happens." And she stepped away and walked to the door, letting Jack barely hear her final whispered word. "Always."

~,~'{@ * ~,~'{@ * ~,~'{@ ***** @}'~,~ * @}'~,~ * @}'~,~

          Jack wanted to shut his eyes tight, shut out what she was saying, but he resisted and just squinted, restricting his vision and doing little to numb the pain that he felt. It was true what she had told him; every word was true. Jack had proposed, Lela had accepted, and it seemed like the two would have a fairytale happy-ever-after. The weary pirate captain recalled that originally, his plan had been to leave for just a while and then come back and face her. But he hadn't. Just as his mind taunted him so, he had taken the easy, cowardly way out. Jack hated to have Lela declare her devotion to him like **_that_**. Pointing out that unlike him, she would keep the promise they had made to each other all those years ago. 

          _Twenty years before..._

_          Out in Jade Sea Meadow for the first time, two children found a hiding spot that would become their place. At this point in time, the fences made of stone were still whole, bigger and longer across. Hiding behind one of them, the two children crouched down, concealed by the tall grasses. The younger dark-haired lass stealthily looked over the sandstone fence for any sign of the grown-ups they were hiding from._

_          "Jack," a little seven-year-old Lela whispered. "Jack!"_

_          "Now what?" laughed Jack who was not yet ten._

_          "Do you think our parents will find us?" she giggled._

_          "Oh, I dunno, Lela," Jack said with mock uncertainty in his voice. "They might eventually. Oh no, sir, it doesn't look good for us, luv!"_

_          "Jack, stop it!" Lela reprimanded still giggling. Not heeding her words, Jack continued to try and scare her._

_          "Oh, oh, no, it doesn't look good a'tall!" he moaned dramatically, effeminately placing his hand back against his forehead. "We shall be caught for sure! We're done for, luv, done for!" By now, Lela could barely contain her high-pitched giggles and bursts of laughter._

_          "Well, mmhahhaha, they **will **find us and, aheehehhahhaa, we **will **be done for if you, teeeheeeheehehe, if ye don't stop makin' me laugh!!"_

_          Jack's eyes gleamed with a wickedly funny idea. "Oh, so ye don't want me to make ye laugh, is that it?" Lela saw the look in his eyes._

_          "Jack," she protested warily as she edged away, "don't you even **dare **think it--Aagh!! Aahhahahaaajackstopitstopstopstop!!!!"_

_          Lela squealed with laughter and tried to roll away as Jack dug his fingers into her sides. "Ah," Jack mused mischievously, "ticklish are we then? I'm going to remember that, the information could be useful for later on." Jack kept tickling the poor little girl, until she started hiccupping. He started to stop and laughed at the funny sounds. "Whoops, I guess I went a bit too far, eh?" _

_          Just as Lela thought the torture was over, Jack began to tickle her again. She squealed and tried to stop hiccupping but kept laughing. Soon it was becoming hard for her to breathe. She tried to gulp in air while demanding to herself that she stop laughing. Little Lela began to get scared; she could barely breathe and her breath was still leaving her. She stopped laughing and was almost crying as Jack finally looked up and saw her panting and wheezing. His hands flew away from her, held back as if to say, "Look! They're gone, you're ok now, just please stop!" _

_          Lela's tiny hand was pressed to her chest trying to stop this hyperventilation. Panic began to fill the young Jack's eyes and his mind raced as to what to do. She didn't have air. She needed air! But how could he get it to her? A crazy idea suddenly came to him. He'd heard about something that you were supposed to do when people couldn't breathe; what was it? _

_          Before he even thought it through, so desperate was he to help his friend, Jack took a deep breath and quickly leaned down over her and pressed his mouth against hers, puffing breath back into Lela. After a few moments of breathing life back into her, Jack straightened up enough to look at her to confirm, for mostly his own sake, that she was still alive. Her face was a little paler than usual, she was still breathing heavily, but it had slowed down and the breaths were deeper._

_          "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Jack!!" she puffed. "Ye tryin' to get rid of me?!"_

_          "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Jack shouted. "I wasn't tryin' to **kill** ya, I was just tickling!" Pulling her into a tight hug, Jack almost angrily said, "But don't ye **evuh** do that again! Ye scared me outta moi wits!" Lela was a little confused at why her older friend was hugging her, but being only seven didn't think that it was rather uncommon for boys to be so affectionate and nice. _

_          "It's all right, Jack," she murmured guiltily, her breath coming a little easier, "I wasn't serious, I know you wouldn't hurt me." _

_          "Yer damn right I wouldn't!" Jack whispered, liking the way the curse rolled off his tongue, but saying it quietly just in case their parents **were** near. "Yer moi best friend, ye know that don't ye?"_

          "Abso-bloody-lutely!" Lela giggled in reply pulling back, trying to mimic the phrase that Jack often said. "And you're mine too, Jack."

_          "We'll always be friends, won't we?" he said more than asked and smiling. Lela was about to answer when Jack suddenly winced in pain. "What the--?" Looking down, Jack saw his right index finger had been cut and a small bubble of blood was gathering above the wound. He glanced back at Lela's worried face, then down to her dress. At the waist there was a small stain of red on the dark green-blue almost black fabric and near it was a small metal hook that attached Lela's bodice to her skirt. Lela realised what had happened: Jack had held her so tight when he had been giving her the "kiss of life" that his finger had been cut through. _

_          Jack was thinking the same thing and shivered at the memory of her pale, gasping face. Suddenly he heard Lela gasp and make a small whimper. His head snapped up. In between two fingers, Lela held a small hair pain. And now, on her finger, blood began to pool on the surface of her fair little finger. Looking him straight in the eye and smiling slightly despite the tears in her eyes, Lela clasped Jack's injured hand and brought it up to meet hers. The two pressed their fingers together and their blood mixed. _

_          "Friends now and forever."_

_          "Friends now and forever," Jack repeated. "Never to leave the other behind."_

_          "And always to care and look out for each other," Lela whispered smiling and snuggling up to her best friend. "It's a promise."_

_          "A promise," Jack echoed, "a promise, a promise, an ever-binding promise."_

As the words of their pledge resonated inside his mind, Jack's heart began to ache for the first time in a long time. Her words were a merciless onslaught to him, and at the same time a welcome reaffirmation that her feelings hadn't changed. Well, they had changed, because with that constant love was mixed her malice that had built up over the years since he left her. Jack almost felt like slapping her, but he also knew he deserved every cruelly wonderful word she'd said.

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**A/N: **Ah yes, young love... dreamy sigh Sooo cute! Hope you enjoyed that lit'ul trip to the past. It's true what they say (however don't ask me who 'they' are, for I am still trying to figure that one out as well...): The more things change, the more they stay the same. Fourteen chapters, holy cow!! I've never gotten so far in me life!!! And I think I'm doing fairly well, wouldn't ye say?

ERIC: Ab-sooo-luteleh!! 

Love,

~*Kitty*~

    =^.^=


	15. Chapter 15

I Can't Ever Leave You

By Kitty =^.^= 

**A/N: **Ok, two chapters updated today. I came into school this morning at 5 of 7 (uugh, sooo sleepy... u_u...zzz) so I decided to get two chapters done since I didn't update last week. Sorry last chapter wasn't all that long. Also, if you're wondering about how some of things in the timeline fit in, I went back in the other chapters and changed anything that needed to be to fit with it. Heehee, some people tried to catch me on that, but I fixed it, mwaHA!!

ERIC: Can I do the disclaimer, canicanicani???

Ok, I suppose, luv, we haven't done one in a while.

ERIC: Yeah! Ahem. Kitty does not own PotC, Tortuga (not yet anyway...), or Johnny Depp.

sigh I WISH I did.

ERIC: snuggle But she **_does _**own all her original characters and ME!!

Teehee... blush Aw, my sweet lit'ul Muse. ^_^ I may not own Johnny Depp, but I have Will Fridel!!

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_          "Friends now and forever."_

_          "Friends now and forever," Jack repeated. "Never to leave the other behind."_

_          "And always to care and look out for each other," Lela whispered smiling and snuggling up to her best friend. "It's a promise."_

_          "A promise," Jack echoed, "a promise, a promise, an ever-binding promise."_

          As the words of their pledge resonated inside his mind, Jack's heart began to ache for the first time in a long time. Her words were a merciless onslaught to him, and at the same time a welcome reaffirmation that her feelings hadn't changed. Well, they had changed, because with that constant love was mixed her malice that had built up over the years since he left her. Jack almost felt like slapping her, but he also knew he deserved every cruelly wonderful word she'd said.

@oooOOO*=^.^=*OOOooo@

             o          o

          Jack listened to the doors click shut and the sound seemed to last for hours. His chest rose and fell with a heavy, exhausted sigh, and he plopped down into a soft plushy chair in the corner and decided to try and get some sleep. He had barely had any since the previous night and even then...

          "Damn it," Jack cursed aloud and he sunk down into the velvety cushions and drifted fitfully into sleep.

          Out on the deck of the Siren Fire, her captain walked towards the first mate. Her steps were not as confident as usual, but Conleth didn't say anything about it. "Cap'n," he said, acknowledging Lela.

          "Hello, Conleth," Lela replied rather sullenly. She leaned over the side of the ship and sighed, watching the setting sun that made the sky turn to gold and blood red. 

          "Uh, we'll probably won't be able to be anchored and all set to loot the place before nightfall Cap'n," Conleth cautiously said, "but, if I may be so bold, we can spend the night, then be ready to go by first light." Conleth steeled himself for the possible punch or insult of acting above his station. When neither came, and Lela just answered with a wave of the hand and a nod, he began to worry. "Is, uh, some'in wrong then, Cap'n?"

          "Huh?" she absentmindedly answered when she realised he'd spoken to her again. "Oh, no, we're peachy. Lemony. Limey even."

          "Are ye sure?" Conleth asked, trying not to pry too much. "It's jest that, that since that Sparrow's been aboard ye've been rather morose..."

          "I'll be all right, Conleth," Lela forced herself to smile. "Thanks for the concern though, mate."

          "T'weren't nothin' Cap'n," Conleth assured her. "Shall I go tell the crew the plan then?"

          "No, s'all right, Conleth, I'll go." With that said, Lela climbed up to the crow's nest and, taking the weathered rope in hand, swung to the mast of the Gremlin Flame. As she came over, some of the women began to shout excitedly. Finally Lela climbed down to the Gremlin Flame's deck and called Collette and Minou over to her. 

          "Collette! Minou!"

          "Oui, Capitaine!" the two happily and simultaneously replied.

          "Venir ici s'il vous plaît des filles."

          "Que vous avez besoin de nous faire?" asked Collette. 

          "J'ai besoin de vous obtenir toutes les femmes sur le pont," Lela explained, "les hommes peuvent diriger un peu."

          "Tout de suite, madame!" announced Minou.

          "Merci, petit minet," Lela said affectionately and gave a genuine smile.

          While the lovely Frenchies hurried off to carry out the captain's orders, the captain herself leaned back against the wall under the steps and mentally went over what she'd say to the girls.

          "Something troubling, Captain?" Lela looked up and saw Judith walking towards her. "You seem distressed." Lela didn't miss the sneer that Judith had on her lips as she said the empty words of worry.

          "Nofthing whatever, Judith," Lela replied with just as cold a smirk, "nofthing whatever." The two women stood silently for a moment staring at each other when Lela looked over Judith's shoulder and saw the rest of her female crew heading towards them. Gently pushing herself away from the wall, Lela walked straight past Judith. 

          "Come along, ladies," Lela shouted, "a line again please." Judith scoffed and rolled her eyes, and lethargically lined up with the rest of the women, taking her lovely lit'ul time. Once they had queued up, Lela spoke. "Conleth informs me that we will not be ready to loot Isla de Muerta by nightfall so we're going to stay the night and I expect you to be ready in the mornin' to get goin'." She smiled. "However, from all that I've seen today, all of you have been doing an excellent job, so I don't see any planks or long drops into the water in anybody's near future." Small chuckles arose from the line of girls. "After we dock," Lela continued, "just help the rest of the men with the riggings'n'such." She gave a chagrining smile like a fussing mother to her daughters. "And when it comes time to actually sleep, you can sleep on deck, or in the cabin below deck. And if any of my men try and get fresh..." Lela punched her fist into her other hand. "Pop 'em one." More giggles. Her orders being given, the women began to disperse to go and do their jobs and Lela was just about to go get Jack. However, she noticed one woman had stayed behind. 

          "Need somefthing Judith?"

          "Not really," she answered snidely. "Just wondering what you're going to do with that Sparrow chap." Lela's lips drew tight together and her eyes narrowed. 

          "I don't see how it's really any of your concern."

          "I suppose it isn't really, forgive me, just was wondering." 

          "Good to know we understand each other." She started to walk away again but Judith kept speaking.

          "I'm not sure we do really." Trying hard to stay calm, Lela turned around and walked up to Judith, standing straight and looked her hard in the eyes.

          "What **_else _**do you need to know then?"

          "I was wondering where you got these foine ships," stated Judith, her plan to play on Lela's pride evident in her coy, saccharine tone.

          "Perhaps I shall tell you another time," Lela coldly answered, and quickly turned on her heel and marched away, flinging her hair into Judith's surprised face. The stunned new addition to the crew shook her head and, waiting until the captain was on the other ship, gave an unladylike snort and spat on the ground. 

          "Appalling bitch," she growled under her breath. "I don't think you'd be so high and mighty if you knew full well who I was." With a toss of her head, Judith started off to below deck. "I'll find out what I need to know sooner or later." She opened the door that led to the women's cabin. "And you'd better hope for your own sake that it's sooner rather than later." The rickety wooden door squeaked as it was closed and shut with a loud snap.

          Back on the Siren Fire...

          Lela's feet barely made a sound as she padded her way back to her cabin. She passed Conleth without a word, and the first mate only noticed she was there where he heard the doors of her cabin click shut. He only got a glimpse of black hair swaying though, and then a solid, carved wooden door. With only one small sigh and a comment about moody women, Conleth put his concentration back to steering.

          Inside Lela's cabin, Lela turned around from quietly shutting the door to see Jack slumped over in a chair, sleeping. A smile crept across her lips as she recalled seeing him like this back in Sleego.

          _Walking into the tailor shop, Lela holding the corners of her skirt up, the newly 14-year-old girl crept into the back of the shop. In the folds of her skirt were two hot scones, a few butter biscuits, and a little bundle of wild blackberries. Lela carefully looked about to make sure the head dressmaker had decided to not come in today until well after lunch, like always. "Such a lazy bum, the worst" she muttered, laughing. Upon entering the back room, who should she see lying in a chair but her dear Jack Sparrow. "Then again," she whispered, trying not to giggle. She set the food down on the table and crept silently across the floor like a sly little cat. _

_          Tiptoeing over to Jack, she leaned down and soft cooed in his ear, "Jaaa-aack..." He barely stirred. Fighting against the suppressed fits of laughter, Lela smiled and gently kissed him on the lips. He smiled in his sleep but still didn't wake. She leaned back to his ear. "Jaaa-aack," she called again melodiously. "WAKE UP!!"_

_          "WHOAH!" Jack flew up from his chair and spun around, still not fully awake. "Sorry sir, sorry, sorry!" His long hair falling over his face, Jack tried to pick up a shirt that he was supposed to be mending. "Just restin' me eyes, sir, just restin' me eyes, I swear!" Now he tried to stab at the shirt with a needle. "It's hard to stare at this 'ere tiny needle all day." By now, Jack finally heard the laughter that was filling the air...girlish laughter. "Lela!" he shouted. "Don't **dooo** that!!" Jack's face still looked horrified and he was panting for breath._

_          "I'm s-s-hahahah-sorry, Jack!" Lela giggled. "Re-eehehee! Really, I am." At the unconvinced look from Jack she bounded over and threw her arms around his neck from behind. "Aw, c'mon, luv!" she pleaded, pouting her lips and making her eyes go big and cute (A/N: The chibi eyes!!). "Please forgive me?" Jack sighed and smiled. _

_          "Well, it was kind of funny," he admitted, catching her chin. _

_          "Kind of?" Lela asked disappointedly. "It was hilarious! It was--!" She was never able to finish because Jack turned his head and gave a kiss. Lela smiled against his lips and kissed him back. After a few moments, they parted. "Ye know that persnickety tailor isn't going to be happy that you slacked off this afternoon, Jack."_

_          "Pah," he scoffed, waving away the statement. "He'll nevuh know." Jack bended his knees and crouched down. "Hop on, luv." With her arms already about his neck, Lela wrapped her legs around his midsection. Jack stood straight, effortlessly lifting her up. "Perhaps you'd loike to tell ole Jack why ye came to visit today?"_

_          "I brought you some food, in case you were hungry." Lela pointed to the table with the bread, biscuits, and berries. _

_          "Ah-ha," Jack mused aloud smiling. He walked to the table and put the food in the leather pouch that was propped up against the table leg. "Well, moi dear," he said, throwing the strap over his neck and under his arm, "what say we go off to da fences and have ourselves a lit'ul feast?"_

_          "I would love to, my dear sir," Lela said in a mockingly proper and ladylike voice. Jack laughed. _

_          "And then after that, we could gooo..." he waited for Lela to finish the sentence and she promptly did._

_          "Swimming!"_

_          "Swimming! Yes, swimming!" Jack walked out the door, Lela on his back. They wouldn't come back until the next day._

Lela smiled again. Yes, that's just what he looked like: a lazy unsuspecting little 16-year-old slacking off to sleep and completely unaware of her presence. She was almost tempted to do the same thing like she did back in Sleego, but she decided against it. There was no time for that, not at the moment anyway. Instead, she brought some papers from her desk and set them on the table. She pulled up a chair, looked one more time at the sweet sleeping Jack, and then to her papers. Lela tried to look through them and find something she could do until she would go out and give the orders to her crew about the next morning. But no matter how much she tried to, her eyes kept straying back to look at Jack. 

          Finally giving up, she threw her hands up in defeat and cradled her head in her arms that were propped on the table so that she could gaze at her captive. _Curse the fates that ever made me fall in love with you, _she thought miserably. Jack shifted in his sleep and he brushed away a few dreadlocks that were hanging in front of his eyes. Lela longingly wished that she could reach out and touch those sandy-coloured lashes of his. She smiled as her own eyes, heavy with exhaustion, began to close. _But bless those silly wenches too for giving you to me._

A few minutes later, Jack awoke to the sounds of things moving around to the side of him outside and the scraping of wood. His eyes flickered open and saw outside the open window on the cabin's balcony that the sun had almost set. He was just about to drift off to sleep when he wondered when Lela would be back. A warm ocean breeze flowed in through the open windows and ruffled the long black hair that was draped over the table. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw Lela's face, contentedly calm in sleep. Her cheek was nuzzled against her arm and papers were scattered on the table. 

          Brushing away a few ebony wisps away from her fair face, Jack leaned back in his chair to sit down again. However, with only a moment's hesitation, he laid his hand against the back of her head and gently pressed his lips to hers. She made a small sigh in her sleep and Jack thought she was going to wake up, but she settled down once again. Jack lay back in his own chair and wondered to himself why he still loved this girl. _I've always wondered why it's only been her that I love like this_, he thought to himself. He closed his eyes and smiled his trademark smirk. _I thank god that I do though_. Jack began to fall asleep again, thankful that Lela was there next to him. _Gives me a reason to live. _

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**A/N: **angelic choir Hallelujah! Hallelujah! CHAPTER 15?!?! It's abso-bloody-brilliant! Thank you all so much for the support and encouragement and suggestions. We love to hear from you all. hugs Eric Eric and us truly appreciate it.

ERIC: snugglesnuggle Eeeehehehehee!

I'm going to prom this weekend, so I'm also excited for that. 

ERIC: O_O I'm your date right?

Uuuuumm...

ERIC: Riiiight????

Actually I'm going with one of my guy friends. 

ERIC: Wha-wha-what about me?? chibi eyes

Oooh, Eric, I wouldn't waste my time going to that with you. I want to do somefthing cooler with you! whispers to you guys Think he'll buy it??

ERIC: Ah! snugglesnugglesnuggle I KNEW you liked me best!

Phew, I mean, yes, luv, of course I do! wave See you people in a week! 

ERIC: Bah-bye!

Drink and be merry and be many-a-fair lad!! (or, ya know, 'lass', for the guys who're reading...)

Fare thee well, safe journeys, and I'll be in Scotland a'fore ye!!

Love,

~*Kitty*~

    =^.^=


	16. Chpater 16

I Can't Ever Leave You

By Kitty =^.^= 

**A/N: **Oh wow, chapter 15! I'm so proud. But gasp what's this?!?! I'm losing my reviewers!!!!! I realise that part of the reason may be that chapter 14 got messed up for a while (almost the WHOLE chapter had been erased!!), but I fixed that. Many apuh-lohgies for ze een-con-ween-nience, heehee. So if you're one of those people who left the ICELY audience for a while because of the technical error, please return to us and read it now that the mistake has been fixed. Many thanks to my dear reviewers who have remained faithful. 

My dearest Countess Katook: Kate dear!! Thank you so much for all your support in the story. You are quite often the first reviewer. Much love!

Magicgirl810: I'm sorry for the late update last week!! Please forgive us!!! See ya in school.

Madison: Yay!! You were my 100th reviewer!! Thank you much for keeping up with the story, it's much appreciated.

zigzagzoe: Heehee, I'm glad you like the story! And good job finding the Blackadder quote. ^_^ It's good to know I'm not the only one who likes British comedy. Which reminds me... GO ROWAN ATKINSON!!!!!

Faeries Flitter: Clemmyclemclem!! Much love to ya sweets! I thank ye much for reading (even though yer mum finds me work silly and, ahem, naughty... ^_^;)

Jen, Kelly, Liz, Faith, & Beth(a-nemo): Man thanks m'dears, we are glad you like the story, we thank ye for your feedback!

Jessie the Great: OMG!!! Such an honour!!! T'is High Queen Jessie, Ruler of the World by Way of the Iron Fist!!!!! Hey Jes-say-say, thank ye much for reviewing (and not flaming...) Do you people realise that me mate Jessie here NEVER gives nice reviews?? Well, ok there was that one. I am SO **_HONOURED_**!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tank oo Jessie fo reviewing, I wuv you!!

Now, onto the story!!!

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          A few minutes later, Jack awoke to the sounds of things moving around to the side of him outside and the scraping of wood. His eyes flickered open and saw outside the open window on the cabin's balcony that the sun had almost set. He was just about to drift off to sleep when he wondered when Lela would be back. A warm ocean breeze flowed in through the open windows and ruffled the long black hair that was draped over the table. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw Lela's face, contentedly calm in sleep. Her cheek was nuzzled against her arm and papers were scattered on the table. 

          Brushing away a few ebony wisps away from her fair face, Jack leaned back in his chair to sit down again. However, with only a moment's hesitation, he laid his hand against the back of her head and gently pressed his lips to hers. She made a small sigh in her sleep and Jack thought she was going to wake up, but she settled down once again. Jack lay back in his own chair and wondered to himself why he still loved this girl. _I've always wondered why it's only been her that I love like this_, he thought to himself. He closed his eyes and smiled his trademark smirk. _I thank god that I do though_. Jack began to fall asleep again, thankful that Lela was there next to him. _Gives me a reason to live._

~,~'~,~'~,~'~,~'~,~'~,~{@

          Of course, eventually, the fair captain had to wake. It was mere minutes before Jack had fallen asleep again, unbeknownst to her, when she felt something touch her hair. Somewhere in the state of consciousness that is right between sleeping and being awake, Lela almost saw Jack smiling at her, not with a playful smirk or an evil grin, but a tender smile of genuine affection. _If only it **were** real. If only he **would **look at me like that again. _And then she could almost feel him kissing her, his salty bittersweet lips on hers. She sighed and snuggled further into her arms on the table. _I really do miss that, _she thought wistfully. 

          Finally, Lela woke completely. Her eyes fluttered open and, what a sight to wake to! There was Jack, once more in his chair, blissfully slumbering. Brushing the sleep from her eyes, Lela pushed her chair back by stretching out her legs. She grappled towards the ceiling, spreading her arms out and rousing her stiff sleepy muscles. "Right then," she whispered, "time for work, yay..." Lela took one last longing gaze at Jack and walked out. 

          Over on the Gremlin Flame was chaos. "C'mon ye bunch-o-scurvy dogs!!" Conleth shouted, then, at a few murderous glares from the women, added, "Not YOU of course, ladies." Once they turned their backs to him, Conleth sighed, worried about all the women on these ships that could probably kill him if he wasn't careful. "Let's pick it up now, boys! The Cap'n's gonna be up and about soon!"

          "And we wouldn't want to irritate her," called said-captain who was swinging over the crew's heads, and then landed, "would we?"

          "We're all set fer tomorrow, Cap'n!" Conleth reported standing straight as a soldier. 

          "Excellent, Conleth," Lela replied. "If you would please fetch Mr. Sparrow in my cabin, I will start relaying the plan to the crew."

          "Right away Cap'n." Quickly picking up the gangplank, Conleth crossed over to the Siren Fire to rouse Jack and bring him back to the Gremlin Flame. After Conleth left, Lela gathered her crew and, making sure everyone was there, began to tell them her latest scheme. 

          "As many of you know, Isla de Muerta is one of the most coveted pirate treasure hoards in the Caribbean, possibly the world." Lela dramatically pointed towards the craggy cliffs that loomed over the dark enigmatic caves. "We have been lucky enough to get at it. Inside is enough gold and jewels to ensure that each of us will live comfortably and," she chuckled pleasantly, "rather excessively well-off for the rest of our days."

          "But Captain!" cried the petite Caitlin. "Me and the rest of the girls only just got here!"

          "Oui, Capitaine!" whimpered the little lovely Frenchie Minou. "Don't **_want _**to go!!" she added in heavily accented English, like a small child.

          "We've got our whole lives to be rich little housewives!!" called out Brittany.

          "That's right!" chimed in Katook, waving her hands about. "I've got plenty of time before I must return to my villa with the Count!"

          The blonde Chelsea (A/N: Remember, say *Chel-say-uh*) ran over and threw her arms about the captain's neck, hugging her tightly. "It's too SOON for us to leave, please don't make us go!" she shouted, almost sounding like she was about to cry.

          "Girls, girls!!" Lela shouted, "please! Calm down. I don't want **_any _**of you to leave!" All the crew, including the men (some of whom had rather disappointed looks), stared back at Lela, confused. "I was merely trying to describe the wealth inside these caverns." She looked to her side and smiled fondly at Chelsea. Tousling the bright yellow locks, she continued, "I should be quite distraught if any of my treasured crew left me too soon. I hope you all stay on the Gremlin Flame and Siren Fire for a long, long time and have many wonderful adventures and plunders with me!" At the last comment the whole crew gave in to laughter for a moment. When the bellows and guffaws had died down, Lela began to explain how they would transport the contents of the caves of Isla de Muerta into the ships...

          Back on the Siren Fire, Conleth walked swiftly into the captain's cabin. Upon opening the carved doors, the first mate discovered his captain's detainee was fast asleep in a chair. Rolling his eyes and heaving an irritated sigh, Conleth walked across the creaking floor to jab at Jack Sparrow's shoulder. At first it was a soft nudge, but when no reaction came again and again, it became a bard stab. Finally Jack's hands flew about his face in front of him as he grumbled and cursed to himself and tried to figure out just what the hell was going on. Once his rebellious shaggy braids had been pushed behind his ears, Jack looked to his side, then up, to see...

          "I'm sorry, don't believe I've had the pleasure, who the hell are you?" As he spoke, Jack smiled insincerely and brought his hands to prayer position with the index fingers placed up and together. 

          "Conleth, Mr. Sparrow," the podgy pirate replied, raising one exceptionally bushy eyebrow. "Oi'm Cap'n Lela's first mate."

          "Ah, yes, yes, o-course, o-course..." Jack clapped his hands together and rubbed them together vigorously. "Well. First thing's first, Conleth." Jack leaned his head from right to left, a cracking noise filling the otherwise dead silence of the room. He then stretched out his arms and legs, cracking his ankles, fingers, and toes (whose cracking could be heard even inside his boots.) Finally standing up, he started out rather amiably, "**_Please_**, call me," his voice grew annoyed, "**_CAPTAIN _**Sparrow. And would ye mind tellin' me where the good Captain Lela is at the moment?" 

          "She's on the Gremlin Flame speaking with the crew," came the quietly irate reply. "Oi'm to be taik'in ye to her now."

          "Oh, really," Jack mused aloud, again trying to be a smart-ass. "Is that so?"

          "Yes," Conleth spat back sardonically, "it be so." He reached over and grabbed Jack's shirt, yanking him up to stand. "So get a move on."

          Jack pulled his hands back in a defensive pose, and protectively assured, "Sorry, Connie, meant nofthing of offence, not-tat-tall."

          Conleth groaned at the girlish nickname, but ignored it. Prodding Jack to move, the two men made their way to the other ship. As they boarded the Gremlin Flame, Lela had just finished conveying her plan to her crew. 

          "So we're all clear on the details then, are we?" asked Lela. One hand was raised. Lela sighed. "No, Ramona, you cannot keep the swords and silverware under your bed with you." The hand slowly went down. "Right then," Lela slapped her hands together, sending a loud 'smack!' echoing around the ship. "I advise all of you to get some good, and might I add, well-deserved rest." Another hand began to rise in the throng of co-ed pirates. "No, Scarlett, you may **_not_** sleep in the men's cabin," Lela quickly and derisively said, answering the unspoken question. "Finish whatever work any of ye have, and then fare thee well and have a nice sleep, luvs!" The crew began to disperse and Lela turned around to start walking. Seeing that Conleth had already brought her captive, she boldly smirked with poise. "Ah, Mr. Sparrow, I see Conleth has already retrieved you." The tanned pirate began to look around with a puzzled expression on his face.

          "Oh, what, huh, what now?" He raised his hand over his eyes and looked out all around him, and Lela rolled her eyes, almost ready to say the words Jack was about to say along with him. "I **_thought_**...I 'eard someone call me." Jack pursed his lips and brought his hand to his chin, contemplatively stroking his beard. "But...no. No. If some **_had _**been calling me, I would've 'eard:" Jack looked pointedly at Lela who was grinning abashedly yet amusedly, "CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW." Jack shrugged his shoulders and his face became perplexed again. "But, ye know, no one called me, so it doesn't really mat-tuh does it now?" Even after his big display of annoyance at not using his correct title, Jack still flashed a small smile at the woman standing in front of him. 

          "All right, all right," Lela laughed, throwing her hand up in defeat, "I give in." She took on the same piercing glare that he had given her and imitated his voice. "CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW," Jack could not help but give a small chuckle at how good she was at impersonating him, "I have a question for you."

          "And what would that be, luv?" Jack asked tilting his face slightly and giving her a very different sort of pointed gaze.

          "Mind out of the gutter please, Jack, lovey," Lela replied, granting an equally evocative wink to an astonished (yet rather impressed) Jack. "Even though you are prisoner of the dread pirate Lela Bratchkep," she began giving a proud, mocking smile, "you are a pirate captain and I have a great deal of respect for you and therefore wish to treat you somewhat hospitably."

          "Which you have done an _excellent _job of so far," he interrupted with a wily grin on his face.

          "Part of this hospitality," Lela continued ignoring Jack's comment "includes a choice in sleeping arrangement." Jack's eyes widened, but didn't want to let on that he was rather nervous about that, so started smiling deviously.

          "Ah," he purred and smoothes his moustache. "And, uh, a-hmm, where might I be sleeping?"

          "I told you, you have a choice." Lela pointed to the floor. "In the brig wiv yer crew and the Spaniards." She pointed to the male part of her crew. "Wiv my men in their cabins below deck." She pointed reluctantly at the new additions to the crew. "Or wiv me girls in their cabins." 

          Jack, for once, did not have a snide remark to say. He leaned back, putting his weight on his right foot, and thought. The brig would be cramped, sweaty, smelly, and possibly mouldy if this cell was anything like the ones Jack had been in, and he had been in a lot. Striking option number one from his mental list, Jack glanced at Lela's men. 

          Sadly, he recognised some, and the one who met his stare smiled evilly and pounded his fist into his other hand a few times. Jack's frightened eyes couldn't look away fast enough. Strike two. 

          He lastly looked at the women on board. Now, at first, he thought that **_that _**sleeping arrangement might be fun, not to mention an amusing way to infuriate his beloved captor. Unfortunately, poor Jack also recognised **_many _**of the women in Lela's crew as well. Some of them waved primly at him, while others demurely batted their eyes, and still others sent cold smiles that sent shivers down his spine. 

          "Uh," Jack weakly chuckled, "do I 'ave any other choices then?" Jack silently prayed that she'd suggest the galley or some remote room in a part of the ship where these people couldn't get to him...

          "Well, you could stay in _my_ cabin." 

          ...but that was good too. 

          "_Your _cabin, luv?" Jack asked, almost not believing he'd actually heard correctly. 

          "Yes, I'm sure I can find you a cot or somefthing to sleep on," Lela replied, reflectively placing her index finger on her bottom lip.

          "Oh, come now, luv," Jack whimpered, his lips trembling and his eyes looking up at her with big, bubbly cuteness (A/N: AAGH!! The Chibi Eyes!!!!!). "Surely ye wouldn't mind 'aving lit'ul me sleep beside ya."

          "I may be many things, Jack, darling," Lela said knowingly, her eyelids lowering along with her voice which had taken on a enticing seductiveness, "but I am neither stupid nor suicidal." Lela tapped Jack on the nose and walked around him to the gangplank that led to her other ship. Jack's mouth dropped open and he turned, running after her.

          "My dear girl," he protested shakily crossing the makeshift bridge behind her, "you cannot think that **_I_** would do anyfthing to harm you or try to take advantage of you?" Lela gave a good-natured laugh.

          "Oh no, Jack, I never gave that a thought. I was simply saying that if you and I slept in the same bed, I would be crushed as soon as you rolled over on top of me in one of your fitful slumberings."

          "Oy! Hold on now," Jack called offended. "Are you saying that I'm **_fat_**?!"

          "Absolutely not Jack!" Lela innocently cried and held her hands towards herself. "I'm in**_sulted_** that you would even think that of me!" She suddenly looked downwards and playfully poked Jack in the stomach. "Though, now that you mention it, you have put on a few pounds since we was lit'uler, luv." Lela laughed loudly and clutched her sides while Jack followed he into her cabin, sulking and upset and all out of good comebacks. 

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**A/N: **OK, so we're finally moving on from all the cutesy J/L moments.

ERIC: Even though they're cute as hell!! whimper It's so beautiful!!

Yyyyyyyyyeah. Ways of any (translation from kittyspeak: anyways), our favourite lovers--

ERIC: wiggles eyebrows suggestively You and me?? 

No!! Eric!! Naughty!! waps him on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper Bad Muse, bad!!

ERIC: dances playfully away Eeeeheheheheee...

sigh Moving on, JACK AND LELA and their crews have reached Isla de Muerta. Next week we shall see what happens when Captain Lela Bratchkep loots the sacred pirate cache. But until then... where will Jack decide to sleep (or rather _with whom_!!)??? MWAAAHAHAHAHAHAA!!

ERIC: melt I just LOVE it when she acts like a mad evil genius!

Remember to review my darlings!!! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!!!!

Drink and be merry and be many-a-fair lad!! (or, ya know, 'lass', for the guys who're reading...)

Fare thee well, safe journeys, and I'll be in Scotland a'fore ye!!

Love,

~*Kitty*~

    =^.^=


	17. Chapter 17

I Can't Ever Leave You

By Kitty =.=

**A/N: **Oh wow, chapter 17! I'm so proud. Sorry again for the messed-up chapter 14. But we have fixed it we has!!! And it looks as though people are coming back to our story, so we is happy. Out Stats right now...

Reviews: 108!!!

Favourite Story or Favourite Author of: 11 readers

On Author Alert for: 18 readers

Many thanks to my dear reviewers who have remained faithful, we wuv you all vewwee much. One thing we have been thinking about. Many of the people who have ICELY on their Favourite Story, Favourite Author, or Author Alert do not actually review. We ask that you do, please! It would mean a lot to us. Also, we believes we shall only be inclined to update when we has 10 reviews at least for each previous chapter... But we mean nofthing of offence luvs, nofthing of offence!

ERIC: You might not, Kitty, but I do!!

Eric, dear, don't be mean to the readers.

ERIC: If you don't review, then I shall come and hunt you all down like dogs!!!

Eric, calm down!! It was just a suggestion really. I just want 10 reviews at least for each chapter for I am in sore need an ego boost.

ERIC: snuggle But you have ME! What more of an ego boost do you need??

Hmm, good point. Still I want reviews. Now enough of this banter. Onto the story!!! Oh, and, uh, I know I said we were moving on from the lovey-dovey-cutesy-romantic J/L bits, but, uh...

ERIC: We go back to those for a chapter, yay!!!

Eric, stop interrupting you silly twit!

ERIC: dances away Eeehehehehehe...!

**--;**  Let's...just...move on then, shall we??

          "Uh," Jack weakly chuckled, "do I 'ave any other choices then?" Jack silently prayed that she'd suggest the galley or some remote room in a part of the ship where these people couldn't get to him...

          "Well, you could stay in _my_ cabin."

          ...but that was good too.

          "_Your _cabin, luv?" Jack asked, almost not believing he'd actually heard correctly.

          "Yes, I'm sure I can find you a cot or somefthing to sleep on," Lela replied, reflectively placing her index finger on her bottom lip.

          "Oh, come now, luv," Jack whimpered, his lips trembling and his eyes looking up at her with big, bubbly cuteness (A/N: AAGH!! The Chibi Eyes!!!!!). "Surely ye wouldn't mind 'aving lit'ul me sleep beside ya."

          "I may be many things, Jack, darling," Lela said knowingly, her eyelids lowering along with her voice which had taken on an enticing seductiveness, "but I am neither stupid nor suicidal." Lela tapped Jack on the nose and walked around him to the gangplank that led to her other ship. Jack's mouth dropped open and he turned, running after her.

          "My dear girl," he protested, shakily crossing the makeshift bridge behind her, "you cannot think that **_I_** would do anyfthing to harm you or try to take advantage of you?" Lela gave a good-natured laugh.

          "Oh no, Jack, I never gave that a thought. I was simply saying that if you and I slept in the same bed, I would be crushed as soon as you rolled over on top of me in one of your fitful slumberings."

          "Oy! Hold on now," Jack called offended. "Are you saying that I'm **_fat_**?!"

          "Absolutely not Jack!" Lela innocently cried and held her hands towards herself. "I'm in-**_sulted_** that you would even think that of me!" She suddenly looked downwards and playfully poked Jack in the stomach. "Though, now that you mention it, you have put on a few pounds since we was lit'uler, luv." Lela laughed loudly and clutched her sides while Jack followed he into her cabin, sulking and upset and all out of good comebacks.

          "Ye know, you're truly wicked sometimes, luv," Jack morosely said to Lela as they walked into her cabin. "Truly and utterly wicked." Lela smiled with a devious little smirk.

          "Oh, I know," she simpered proudly, "but ye know ye love me for it!"

          "Oh, do I now?" Jack laughed and began to sneak up behind her. All of a sudden, shrieks of giggles filled his pleased ears. "Are you quite sure about that statement, pet?"

          "Ack!! Jack, **_stop _**it!!" Fits of laughter. "Why is it, that--" Peals of laughter. "That ev'ey time Oi make fun of ye, you--" Seizures of laughter. "You ALWAYS end up tickling me?!?!?!"

          "A'cause it's terribly fun, Elley, it's **_criminally _**fun!" The poor female captain kept trying to walk away from Jack but he just continued relentlessly grating his fingers against her ribs and following her wherever she tried to stumble. "Ah-ah-ah!" he shouted, knowing his victory was imminent. "Surrender!"

          "Never!" Lela cried out, finally pulling away from Jack. Quick as lightning, she pulled out her dagger from its scabbard. "Ah-ha! I believe that **_I _**have the upper hand now!"

          "Do you really think so?" Jack reached for his own sword...and his hand touched nothing by air. He had forgotten that Conleth had taken his sword. Jack rapidly reached to the other side of his belt for his pistol...but that wasn't there either. Conleth had taken that as well. Lela smiled again, obviously delighted.

          "Aye," she called to him raising the tip of her dagger to his chin. "I do." Jack eyed the flattened metal that was so near him.

          "Ye shouldn't play wiv knives, luv," he whispered and reached over impossibly quickly and snatched Lela's wrist. "Ye moight hurt someone." Lela simply tossed off his hand and spun him around so that she held him in almost the same position of capture he had had her in earlier.

          "Yeah," she whispered with just as alluring a whisper. She leisurely raised and lowered the blade treacherously close to Jack's neck as the dying rays of the sun were caught on it, gleaming and warning of its power.

          "If ye kill me now," Jack quietly protested with a nervous chuckle, "ye won't evuh foind out."

          "Find out about what?" Lela replied, keeping her tone silky but not letting her curiosity leak through.

          "If what you said a bit ago is true." Lela's eyes were directed towards the wall but she didn't see it, or anything else. What did he mean...something that she had said...and if it was true...

          "Uh, could ye be a bit more cryptic?" she asked sheepishly.

          "All roight," Jack answered thoughtfully. "Hmm...'Ow about...pudding 'as no bones? Ouch!" Lela pulled her back away from Jack's ear.

          "You're still as enigmatic as ever." Jack shrugged.

          "Perhaps."

          "So I suppose you're not going to tell me then?" Lela tried to get a clear answer one last time.

          "No, no, I shall," Jack said and Lela's ears pricked up like a cat's waiting for the reply. "But perhaps later." If she _had _been a cat, Lela's poor little ears would have drooped right back down.

          "Drat," she pouted, "and you say _I'm _wicked."

          "You are." Lela scoffed.

          "Then what are you?"

          "Ex-**_ceeding_**-ly evil."

          "Hold on here," Lela objected, "you believe yourself to be more wicked than me?"

          "Oh, yes, by a long shot." Jack smiled but behind him Lela looked down, almost...sad.

          "And yet earlier you were acting as though I was the most vile, malicious thing on Earth." Jack stopped smiling when he heard the forlorn tone in Lela's voice.

          "Oh, well..." Jack would have been fidgeting had his hands been free. "About all that fuss I made, I was jest...um...y'see, i'sloike this..."

          "It's ok, Jack," Lela whispered, some of the cheer returning to her voice, "don't fthink nofthing of it. Please." And like that, she released him. Jack didn't move from where he was but Lela stepped carefully away from him. He felt her fingers linger on his skin and then slowly drift away. "Right then, uh..." Lela looked around her, as though trying to find something to do, "I need to, um, to, uh...hmm...I need to..." Finally, she sighed and gave up trying to find an excuse. "I'll be back in a tick." She turned away and walked quickly to the door, biting her lip and hoping Jack wouldn't see.

          Before he had a chance to say one word, Jack was watching Lela all but sprint to the door. His outstretched hand that had been ready to grab her fell to his side. Sighing, he tried to remember what he had said before, but so much of that heated conversation was a hazy blur.

          Flashes of the scene played over in his mind.

          _"Why don't you want to talk about the past?"_

_          "Why did you want to find me, Lela?"_

          She'd told him she loved him. But then she had asked him about his abrupt departure.

          _"Why did you leave Sleego, Jack?" she'd said. "Why did you leave **me**?"_

          And what had been his _stupid _answer?

          _"I felt I had to leave. I didn't want to have to face you."_

The memories of earlier that day began to come at him, flooding his mind at a terrifying rate.

          "You deceived me, belittled my trust!"

          She had denied his accusation, said that she had never lied to him, but he paid her no heed.

          "Maybe not to my face you didn't, but ye certainly did a good job of it when I wasn't around!"

          Shouting and screaming and insults ensued and came to the inevitable...

          _Slap!_

Jack winced at that reminiscence. "I fthink I _did _deserve that one," he said aloud to himself, and knocked himself on the head. "And that's for just a minute ago, luv," he whispered as though speaking to his beloved friend. It was then Jack decided to try and set things, mostly if not completely, right with Lela. "I fthink we've both admitted that we still...love each other to ourselves...and _she's _already admitted that she still loves me to me..." Jack still spoke aloud, almost practicing for what he would say to the fellow captain, but he finished his sentence only in his thoughts. _But...**I**...need to tell her--tell her to her face, straight out--that I..._ Jack looked up as he heard the squeak of the double wooden doors opening. _I love her._

As Lela walked in, Jack forced himself to look at her, even though her eyes looked slightly red and she wiped her eyes. She was looking down at the ground with a weary, faraway look on her face, even though outside she had just promised herself that she wasn't going to act mopey. Since she couldn't see Jack due to the masses of hair obstructing her vision, she didn't see him coming towards her at (what would've been) the fastest pace she'd ever seen him go. Lela let out a startled gasp as she found that all of a sudden she was in the tight embrace of one, Jack Sparrow. Her drooping eyes widened in confusion as Jack (for once, unintentionally) backed her into the wall.

          "Jack..." she started to hoarsely whisper, but he cut her off...in a most surprising way.

          He kissed her.

          Lela's mind was reeling once more, but this time it was not because of a question or a statement. The cause was tangible, material and somehow it wasn't. When she her whole world seemed like it was about to shatter earlier, it was something Jack had said in spoken words. This time, her spiralling thoughts were _also _caused by something that came from Jack's mouth...a genuine, ardent kiss, but... _But that's not what is **really **making me like this, _she managed to think, though a vague, opaque thought it was. _It's **Jack**._

After a few moments, Jack slowly, almost reluctantly, pulled away from Lela's lips, but barely an inch. 

          "It is true," he said softly, "what ye said before."

          "Wha...what did I say?" Lela asked and still trying to catch her breath.

          "I called ye truly wicked and you said you knew, but I..." Jack gently leaned his forehead to hers, "I loved ye for it." Lela tried to say something but her lips just moved, her mouth opening and closing, no sound issuing forth. "And I'm sorry f'ticklin' ya." Lela let out a small laugh that was mixed with sobbing. "So..." Jack reached up and brushed away her hair from her face and stroked her soft, pale cheek. "Just so we are perfectly, completely, totally, entirely, absolutely, wholly, and **_utterly _**clear on things wiv each other..." He leaned in once more, his slightly rough lips barely brushing hers as he slowly whispered with sheer sincerity a declaration: "_I_...**_love _**_you_."

**A/N: **WOW. Dis is all vee can say. WOW. SEVENTEEN chapters! Cuh-raaaaaaazy. We are most proud. Ex-**_ceeding_**-ly so.    Sorry I didn't update last week. Stuff was goin' on and there was that whole 'me-randomly-deciding-to-have-10-reviews-before-I-update' thing... Oh well... Ooh, quick FYI: **_TOMORROW I WILL BE UPDATING ANOTHER CHAPTER (CHAPTER 18)_**because this one was kinda short. Ways of any... New things, um...

ERIC: Kitty was in a style show on Sunday!!!!!!

Eric, shush! tear I wanted to tell 'em.

ERIC: Oh. Uuuuuuuummmmm... oops??

GLARE

ERIC: covers nose Please, don't hit me on the nose with the rolled up newspaper!! gets an idea However, for future reference I do sometimes like it rough.

****  ERIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pulls out a rolled up phonebook

ERIC: YIPE!!!!! clings to Kitty's ankles and kisses feet Please, puh-leeeeeeeeeeeeeeease, don't leave me!!

sigh Oh well. The style show... It was for the Red Dress brunch for the American Heart Association (my mom works at the Creighton Cardiac Centre, don't ask...) T'was fun.

ERIC: Mostly because she got free cream puffs.

Eric!!!

ERIC: Eeeeeehehehehehe...

Okay, whatever. I'm leaving to go to geometry tutoring!! storms off

ERIC: Haha, just watch, she'll come back... waits for 10 minutes Yyyyyyyup. Aaaaaaaany minute now... waits another ½ hour Um, d-d-don't think that she's not comin' back, heh. C-c-cause sh-she is... another hour later Hmm. Well. looks around to see if you're still watching KITTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! runs away screaming and crying 

peaks out from behind 1st A/N at the beginning of the chapter Remember to review my darlings!!! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!!!!

Drink and be merry and be many-a-fair lad!! (or, ya know, 'lass', for the guys who're reading...)

Fare thee well, safe journeys, and I'll be in Scotland a'fore ye!!

Love,

Kitty   

   =.=


	18. Chapter 18

I Can't Ever Leave You

By Kitty =.=

**A/N: **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Eep!!! Sorry, sorry!! We didn't get Chapter 18 up on the Day of Thor (Thursday) like we promised. tear I'm sowwee. Our computer went kaglooey!! Well, not really. The backlight on my laptop went out so it took me forever to try and figure out how to be able to see. But I got it fixed, so all shall be well. Sorry again for the messed-up chapter 14. But we has fixed it we has!!! And it looks as though people are coming back to our story, so we is happy... Oh yeah. And sorry that nervous chuckle it's kinda, ya know, two...three weeks...a month since we updated... shuffles feet it was because...you see, what happened was... tears up I'm sorry!!! It was finals week last week and I had no time!!! bawling I had to study for my exaaaaa-aaa-aaaams!!!! And then this last week was my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary and I had to make the anniversary video and go through pictures and edit them and--and--and...!!!!! calms down Ok. I'm all right now... Out Stats right now...

Reviews: 115!!!

Favourite Story or Favourite Author of: 11 readers

On Author Alert for: 19 readers

Many thanks to my dear reviewers who have remained faithful, we wuv you all vewwee much. One thing we have been thinking about. Many of the people who have ICELY on their Favourite Story, Favourite Author, or Author Alert do not actually review. We ask that you do, please, please, please! It would mean a lot to us.

ERIC: runs up--well, crawls-- Ki--pant Ki-deh--wheeze Kitty!

Mmmmmmmmmyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeess??

ERIC: Where gasp didya huff GO?! cough

I told you. Geometry tutoring. And then studying for finals. And making my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary video.

ERIC: Whaaa?

Ya know. I was...being tutored. For geometry. And then preparing my mind for the rigours of semester exams. And then burning it out taking them. And hyper-focussing on the world of cinematography.

ERIC: Ah.

You don't get it do you.

ERIC: No. No I don't.

Thought so.

ERIC: Yes.

Quite.

ERIC: Hmm.

Right then...ONTO THE STORY!!

          "It is true," he said softly, "what ye said before."

          "Wha...what did I say?" Lela asked and still trying to catch her breath.

          "I called ye truly wicked and you said you knew, but I..." Jack gently leaned his forehead to hers, "I loved ye for it." Lela tried to say something but her lips just moved, her mouth opening and closing, no sound issuing forth. "And I'm sorry f'ticklin' ya." Lela let out a small laugh that was mixed with sobbing. "So..." Jack reached up and brushed away her hair from her face and stroked her soft, pale cheek. "Just so we are perfectly, completely, totally, entirely, absolutely, wholly, and **_utterly _**clear on fthings wiv each other..." He leaned in once more, his slightly rough lips barely brushing hers as he slowly whispered with sheer sincerity a declaration: "_I_...**_love _**_you_."

          Lela thought her heart might stop right there. "You..." Her voice came out like a tiny squeak and she was rather annoyed that Jack could make her act like such a girly hopeless romantic. Trying once more she completed her sentence, smiling. "You love me?"

          Jack nodded, leaning his forehead against hers. "Mmm-hmm," he murmured and went back in for another kiss. Another few moments passed and he pulled away again...but, again, just a little bit. "That a good thing?" he asked with a little smirk.

          "Wha...um, yeah, yeah o'course it is," she answered faintly, the smile that had been on her lips almost gone. Jack stared back at Lela in confusion.

          "Don't get too excited, luv," he mockingly protested, "ye might faint on the spot," and he kissed her again, bringing both hands up to stroke her slightly damp cheeks. Lela smiled a little more.

          "Sorry," she replied hanging her head slightly and a blush spread through her cheeks, tingeing them crimson. "I'm happy. I am. I'm just...tired...that's all." The flush on Lela's cheeks grew redder when Jack reached down and gave her a playful pinch on the backside. He smirked, obviously pleased with her reaction, although she did give him a rather terrifying death-glare.

          "What say we get to bed and sleep some then?" he whispered in her ear, and kissed her now burning face. "It has been a **_most_** tiring day." Jack suddenly looked thoughtful and stepped away from Lela. "You've worked me harder than I've been accustomed to since..." He pointed an accusing finger at her, but was still smiling. "Since **_you_** worked me like this back in Sleego!"

          Glad for a conversation change, Lela scoffed and pushed away his condemning hand. "Tch. Working? YOU? Surely you jest. You haven't done a speck-a-work 'round here **_or _**in Sleego...well...ever!"

          "Perhaps not…" once more, Jack's hands went to prayer position, "**_physically_**, luv." The hands flew out in front of his face wildly. "But spiritually! Emotionally! Grammatically even!!" Lela rolled her eyes as Jack began to put on such a dramatic display. "In such ways have ye been workin' me. Aaaaall daaaay long, me mind's been goin'..." he laid his palm flat in the air and moved it up and down at varying paces, "like this, see here, like that, aaaaall daaaay long!!" By now Lela was clutching her sides and laughing hard. And then Jack began to scoff and walk about as though she was hurling insults at him. "A-tch! A-tch! Oh, yeah, YOU can laugh about it, but just wait! Tonight, when ye least expects it I'll come up outta nowheres and pounce!!" Just then he did pounce on her and they fell on her bed. "Yes, pounce! Pounce like a stealfthy tiger, aarrrr!!!"

          What a sight it was. Two great, respectable pirate captains were rolling around on one of their beds and acting like children. It seemed as though the old saying was true: The more things change, the more they stay the same. There they lay, tired out from wrestling and trying to tickle each other, just like on Lela's 14th birthday. Jack was incredibly happy. He loved Lela. She still loved him. Now he wouldn't have to become dark and moody on her birthday each year, and now he wouldn't have to act like a pansy!

          But beside him, Lela was thinking about the situation a little differently. Some of her thoughts were similar. She loved Jack. And had Jack just told her that he still loved her. She should have been happy. Not just happy, ecstatic and on a heavenly cloud nine of bliss! But somehow...she wasn't. Suddenly interrupting her thoughts, Jack murmured, "So shall we be gettin' to bed soon then, luv?" Her eyes shot wide open.

          "Um, Jack," she started, trying to think up an excuse, "I fthink it's best if...if we sleep separately tonight..."

          "Cor," he mumbled sleepily, "ye got me all excited for nofthing." He smiled and gently tugged a bit of her hair. Lela giggled.

          "I know, I know, I'm not bein' a prick tease or nofthing, I jest...I-I-I jest..."

          "Don't worry 'bout it pet," Jack said. Then he flashed a devilish smirk. "Takes a while for me words to sink, eh? Oof!" Lela pulled her hand back from playfully punching the roguish pirate in the gut.

          "You may take my bed this evening, Mister...oh pardon, CAPTAIN Sparrow." She smiled. "I shall be below deck tonight." And suddenly her face grew serious and her gaze hardened, her eyes piercing through Jack to his very soul. "Do NOT...under ANY circumstances try and come down. For NO REASON **_AT ALL_**. Understand?" Jack stared back at her as frightened prey would look at its predator, eyes wide, barely breathing, barely moving, praying they wouldn't strike.

          "All...all right, Elle. I won't come'n'get ya."

          "Under ANY circumstances whatsoever."

          "On pain of deafth," he dramatically declared, "I shan't bovther ye." Lela leaned close to him and cradled his face in her hands, a pleading almost fearful look.

          "Promise me, Jack. **_Promise_**."

          "I-I promise."

          "Good," Lela sighed and quickly pressed her lips to his. "Very good." One more kiss couldn't hurt. "Well then," she murmured, whispering in Jack's ear, "I bid thee good night, luv."

          "Good night," he replied. His eyes were drifting closed, so he only knew that Lela got up off the bed hen he felt her weight shift and the space next to him rose back up. He forced his tired eyes to stay open a little longer so he could look at her. "Do ye mean it?" Lela turned back around and looked at him, her hand placed on the door.

          "Mean what?"

          "Ye called me 'luv,' luv." And there was the impish leer again. Lela just smirked back at him.

          "Aye," she replied and leaned her head against the door, "I mean it."

          "Night, Elle."

          "Night, Jack."

          While Jack was finally able to get a real sleep, Lela, Captain of the Siren Fire, would have no such luck. As soon as the door to her cabin was closed, the smile that had been lingering eagerly on her lips dispelled. Lela quickly looked at the sky to see where the sun was on its daily path. Past sunset. Soon it would be gone and the moon would rise and take over the sky for her dues of ruling the night. She could already see some stars peeking through the golden, bronze heavens. Sighing, Lela walked to the opposite end of the ship. Once she arrived, she gazed hatefully and even fearfully at the plain wooden door in front of her. The quiet night air that held nothing by ghostly silence was shattered as one could hear the jingling of keys in a lock, and then a chilling _squeak _as the door was slowly opened. Lela took one longing glance at her cabin doors; therein laid her most precious treasure. Tearing her eyes away, darkness enveloped her as she stepped forward to the stairwell that led to below deck.

          Now below deck was not where Captain Lela Bratchkep kept her crew or cargo. That was what the Gremlin Flame was used for. No... In the hull of this mighty ship there were cages. Cages in which Lela's faithful army was kept. It would seem that the men in the streets of Tortuga had been correct. The untamed soldiers could hear their mistress coming down the steps and those who were asleep raised their heads to greet her. "Evenin' darlins'," she warmly greeted. "And how are we this evening?" As she walked to the first cage in the row that lined the wall on her right, she reached through the thick metal bars and scratched the chin of one of her beloved warriors. "Doing well I hope, Chandra?" The large tigress almost grinned, and purred appreciatively, nuzzling her mistress's hand. Her brilliant titian coat and gleaming black markings tattooing her body were a stark contrast to the milky white of her jowl, paws, underbelly, and tipped tail.

          Lela smiled back and walked to the first cage on the left where another one of her favourites, a serene and often silent snow leopard, sat straight and tall, contemplatively twitching his tail. He almost looked as though he were raising an inquisitive eyebrow, sharply questioning Lela why she had not greeted him. "Mmm, and of course I wouldn't forget my handsome Neus." As she petted him gently on the head, the snowy white wild cat nodded in approval, signalling that she was back in his good graces. "Don't act so high and mighty, you," Lela mockingly reprimanded. "I spoil you too much!" The creature chose to ignore her sarcastic remark and gracefully laid down, neatly tucking his feet and paws around him and his tail curling with poise on his hind leg and furry flank. Smiling, Lela smoothed the hair on the top of his head and continued her walk through the centre aisle between the cages lining the arched walls.

          As she continued on to the edge of ship, she came upon one last cage. Larger than all the others, the bars were also thicker, stronger, and closer together. Not only was there a padlock on the door, but four metal bolts held the entrance to the small prison firmly in place. And that's exactly what it was: a prison. Once more, the rattle of keys broke the otherwise quiet air. Lela opened the heavy door and several of the wild cats looked up from their slumber while others simply opened an eye and drifted back to sleep, seeing as how the event that played before them wasn't anything new. Walking in, Lela began to close the door shut once more, blurred thoughts and memories rushing through her head. The cage shut and she winced at the sharp, resounding clang. As soon as she reached through and secured the lock and bolt, she quickly threw the tarnished ring of keys far away from her outside the metal bars.

          Her quick move came none too soon for barely as the key ring hit the wooden planks than fiery pain shot through her head. Lela inhaled sharply, the rapid intake of air sounding like a hiss. Falling to her knees Lela forced herself to hold off the pain. _Just a little bit longer, _she repeated to herself, a useless yet habitual mantra, _just a little bit longer. _Crawling to the corner of her cell, Lela picked up a dark mottled bottle. More of the stinging ache raced to her legs and she quickly pulled the cork out of the bottle's top. Her frame crumbling as more and more throbbing pain coursed through her, she barely managed to slosh a few mouthfuls of the bittersweet brown liquid down her throat. It never completely drove away the pain, but at least it numbed it for a bit. _Please, Jack, _she pleaded in her mind while she drank more rum, _just **please **don't try and find me. Not now. I'd never forgive myself._

_          Stupid girl! Why did you bring him on board in the first place so soon? _

Lela quivered as her mind began to chastise her. Well, part of her mind, a part we all have: the critical parent.

          _I-I wanted to see him! _came a meek internal voice._ I didn't think about...about..._

The critical parent mercilessly reprimanded the inner child.

          _You didn't think about the consequences? About what could happen if he was here? No, you **didn't **think, not at all._

Lela shook her head, tears streaming down her face, her body slowly rocking as she tried to push away her own conscience and childish justification out of her head. But the two voices of her psyche continued to bicker and squabble and argue and quarrel.

          _How could you have been so stupid?! Acting so arrogant and confident. _

_          But I love him..._

_          If you loved him, would you have put him in such danger?_

_          No! But I...I...I told him not to look for me._

_          Ha! Will he listen? Why would he listen?_

_          He told me he loved me too...and I believe him._

_          He said he loved you back in Sleego too, but he left didn't he?_

_          NO!! We're past that, we love each other, and everything will be all right now!_

_          Everything will be all right, hmm? What about when he finds out about you...your secret?_

The tremors running through her increased and Lela couldn't figure out what she felt. Anger, self-pity, despair, fury, punishment. The voices in her mind continued to scream at each other, one accusing and one still hoping. The din rose and rose with no signs of stopping, and Lela, who could still not sort out the excess of emotions that blurred everything in front of her, did the only thing she could think of that was in between what her mind was fighting over: she cried. She cried with quiet, desperate sobs that shook her even more. _What if he **does **find out? What will I do? What will he--?!_

          Lela's thoughts were interrupted as the full force of the pain encompassed her mind, her body. Her skin felt like it was on fire and at the same time it was like pins and needles were pushing their way through her flesh from the underside. She felt her muscles pulsing, expanding, and her bones lengthening. Her heart hammered away in her chest, and just like always, Lela thought as though it would pound right through and shred her clothes. She looked down and saw, as always, that her clothes were _indeed _shredded and tattered. Her hands and feet began to pound and pulsate like when you wrap a string tight around your finger, cutting off the flow of blood. Taking one last large draught of the deadening alcohol before the glass bottle slipped from her shaking fingers and shattered as it clanked against metal floor of her confinement. Lela's burning eyes glanced back up at the steps that led to the deck up above. _Jack..._

Jack sat up faster than he had ever in his life, drenched in cold sweat and the overwhelming sense of dread. _What woke me up? _he wondered. He had heard something. But that shouldn't have done anything, he was a hard sleeper. He always heard shouts and screams and laughter and crashes and booms when he went to sleep. It wasn't the fact that he had heard something that had been able to stir him. It was the nature of the sound. It was strange, like nothing he had heard before, and yet terrifyingly familiar. _Where _had he heard it? He had to have heard it recently, never being very gifted in the memory department. But where would he have heard something like _that_?

_Far out on open ocean, as the world was pulled into daylight, Jack felt the back of his neck prickle, and his ears burned, as though someone was talking about him, and summoning him in their thoughts._

_An enraged, growling snarl that echoed through the streets, the whole tiny island of Tortuga..._

_Somehow, Jack feared that even though that day that he hated, loved, despised, adored...**feared**...**wanted**...was over, that that glorious dream and abhorrent nightmare was far from over. In fact, it was only just beginning._

          Jack got the same feeling now that he had the day before... _No, it was only this mornin'. God, this day has been an eternity. But, yes, I get the same sense of...of...somefthing. _Jack wiped his brow of the icy perspiration. _Somefthing. I don't know what. _He warily eyed the door on the other side of the room. _But I don't like it. Not at'tall._

After only a few moments of hesitation, the pirate threw aside the sheets and pulled on his boots. _Somefthing's wrong, _he thought as he hobbled to the door, still trying to put his left boot. _I've gotta go get Lela. _He managed to clumsily open the door and get his other boot on, but his ended and he fell to the ground where his hands flew about trying to protect his precious face. "Ow," he muttered in a rather matter-of-factly tone. Limping overdramatically for a few feet he brushed his hands off and walked in the direction he had seen Lela walking when he watched her after she left the room. _Well, you know, I wasn't spying or anyfthing, _he mused. _I was, uh, uh...hmmm...perhaps I was. _Jack shook his head.  _Doesn't mattuh, gotta find Lela, stay focused stupid, stay focused! _Remembering there was no one to watch his theatrical display of pain, Jack walked very quickly in his normal swaying way.

          As soon as he reached the wooden door near the bow of the ship, Jack stopped. The anxiety had increased and it made him wary. Something told him not to go in. A warning from a nameless power? A sixth sense? Not quite. _Lela said not to go looking for her. She even made me promise specifically. _Jack leaned back, putting his weight on his heel. _Girl seemed very tense'n'troubled. _Shaking his head, he turned on his heels and quickly made his way back to Captain Lela's cabin. _Elle's a big girl, _he reassured himself, _she can take care of herself. I hope. _Only chancing one look at the closed door, he all but fled back to room and practically jumped into the bed. He pulled up the covers and nearly slammed his head down on the pillow. Forcing his eyes to close, he tried to forget the disturbing noise that had woken him. _She'll be all right, _he kept thinking to himself, _nofthing's wrong and she'll be all right.  _

**A/N: **Bwa-ha! I FINALLY got away from the cutesy fluff! Now, most of you probably know my favourite genre of movies, TV shows, fanfiction, etc... is Angsty Humorous Romance. So far, we've had oodles of humour...

ERIC: From the story and from me and Kitty!

light tap with the rolled up newspaper That too. We've had GOBS of romance...

ERIC: Again, from the story and from me and you!!!

harder tap YES. And there's been a lit'ul bit of angst.

ERIC: Once more--!

raises newspaper in warning

ERIC: shuts the hell up

Thank you. Things are getting a bit too fluffy for even my taste. shudder So we apologise. weakly pleading Need...more...ANGST!! twitch, twitch Now we are moving on to the REALLY good stuff. I've had the whole next bit planned since the beginning (things like Lela's female crew and the trip to Isla de Muerta I added as I went along). Of course I shan't **_tell _**you what this whole next bit is now. That would spoil it!! For me anyways...

ERIC & KITTY: simultaneously Eeeeeheheheheheheheee...!

Remember to review my darlings!!! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!!!!

Drink and be merry and be many-a-fair lad!! (or, ya know, 'lass', whatever floats your boat...)

Fare thee well, safe journeys, and I'll be in Scotland a'fore ye!!

Love,

Kitty--Ibea Female Pirate, Savvy??  

   =.=


	19. Chapter 19

I Can't Ever Leave You (I STILL hate this title...)

By Kitty

**A/N: **Allo luvs! Sorry, sorry. I know I'm FOREVER AND A DAY LATE, but I was working on my brother's wedding video and his bride's shower video (or game, rather, the Soon-to-Be Newlyweds Game). He just got married. Merci Dieu (thank God), that's over... Out Stats right now...

Reviews: 121?!?!?! CRIKEY!!!!!!!

Favourite Story or Favourite Author of: 11 readers

On Author Alert for: 19 readers

Not much else to say in the A/N. But I'm here are two main fthings we're workin' on, savvy?

1) Finish story on its 1-year anniversary

2) Think of a better title, **_think of a better title_**!!!

Got it? Good. Even though I am in summer school (mutters damn environmental science, never takin' that again...) it is summer, so I will have a lot of time to work. I'm not travelling anymore like I was continuously doing a few weeks ago, I have NO MORE FINALS, and this summer school class is easy peasey lemon squeezey. So much that I am definitely gonna be exempt from the final exam. So yay! And now we should get star--.

ERIC: Wait, Kitty!!

What? Who? sees Eric waving wildly Oh. You. "Wait." Why?

ERIC: You forget to mention thing #3!

Oh! Ai, thanks Eric. Almost forgot about thing #3! It--. Hmm. Um... contemplative silence

ERIC: Well?

sheepish chuckle Um, what...was thing #3 again??

ERIC: AAGH! I'M the forgetful one! Kitty, stop taking my job! calms down The thing. Uh, about the story?

DORY: Uh-huh.

ERIC: When you finish it.

DORY: Uh-huh.

ERIC: And you change some names.

DORY: moves head and thinks about it Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnno. No, can't remember. Can't remember, squat! Diddly squat!!

nods I'm with Dory. light bulb Ah h--!!! flickers, dims Hmmm. flick ding O}= Ah haa!! Now I remember. After I finish the story, I was going to turn it into one of the books that I try and publish. All I would have to do would be change some names, places, trademarks and such, and I still think I would have a pretty good story. I'd have to write more of course to explain it all, since there'd be no movie about it. What do you guys think?? OK, enough ROTA (**R**amblings **O**f **T**he **A**uthor). **_ONTO THE STORY!!!_**

After only a few moments of hesitation, the pirate threw aside the sheets and pulled on his boots. _Somefthing's wrong, _he thought as he hobbled to the door, still trying to put his left boot. _I've gotta go get Lela. _He managed to clumsily open the door and get his other boot on, but his luck ended and he fell to the ground where his hands flew about trying to protect his precious face. "Ow," he muttered in a rather matter-of-factly tone. Limping overdramatically for a few feet he brushed his hands off and walked in the direction he had seen Lela walking when he watched her after she left the room. _Well, you know, I wasn't spying or anyfthing, _he mused. _I was, uh, uh...hmmm...perhaps I was. _Jack shook his head. _Doesn't mattuh, gotta find Lela, stay focused stupid, stay focused! _Remembering there was no one to watch his theatrical display of pain, Jack walked very quickly in his normal swaying way.

As soon as he reached the wooden door near the bow of the ship, Jack stopped. The anxiety had increased and it made him wary. Something told him not to go in. A warning from a nameless power? A sixth sense? Not quite. _Lela said not to go looking for her. She even made me promise specifically. _Jack leaned back, putting his weight on his heel. _Girl seemed very tense'n'troubled. _Shaking his head, he turned on his heels and quickly made his way back to Captain Lela's cabin. _Elle's a big girl, _he reassured himself, _she can take care of herself. I hope. _Only chancing one look at the closed door, he all but fled back to the room and practically jumped into the bed. He pulled up the covers and nearly slammed his head down on the pillow. Forcing his eyes to close, he tried to forget the disturbing noise that had woken him. _She'll be all right, _he kept thinking to himself, _nofthing's wrong and she'll be all right._

Although he had been sleeping soundly, comforted by thoughts of Lela, as soon he lay down to bed once more, Jack was haunted by his worries. He twisted in Lela's bed, tossing and turning. Jack felt like he was half-asleep, half-awake, torn between dreaming and the waking world.

_ Jack walks through a dark street. Fog is surrounding him and he can barely see. Holding up his hands to his mouth, he calls out to Lela. She doesn't answer. Jack tries to call her again. Again, silence. It seems to get colder, and darker too. There are shadows all around him, but one stands out amongst the rest. _Why is it so noticeable?_ Jack wonders. He stares closer at the prominent shadow. Now he knows why it sticks out so: it's moving. At first, Jack thinks it is a trick of the light, because it's barely moving. But it IS moving. _

_ Lurking in the shadows... Something large, but low to the ground, covered in thick black fur. And eyes glare at him, with evil intentions, blood red staining the pitch darkness. Jack hears a low growl. It's coming from the creature. Creature? Something else now pierces through the night: teeth. Gleaming, threatening, white teeth, dripping with saliva and blood. Jack tries to move but it feels like his legs are stuck. He looks down. His feet ARE stuck. No, they're sinking into the ground! Jack struggles but that only makes him sink faster. The spot below him is swirling with colour, distorting its shape, and now Jack's legs are becoming part of the spinning vortex._

_ Out of the fog, comes a deep ominous voice..._

_ "A vain struggle it is, a vain struggle indeed." Jack looks up and sees someone walking towards him. It is a woman, old, obviously, many wrinkles on her face and a shrewd expression. But her hair shows no age. It looks like it was once dark brown but run through with large streaks of luminescent violet-red dye. Her violet eyes are clear, her olive skin without mark, and her back, straight. A single gold hoop hangs on her left ear. She wears a full, layered skirt of deep blue, textured with a pattern of dark green fern leaves and indigo-coloured irises. Her loose blouse, a creamy rough linen, billows slightly at the wrists. Finally, her open vest is an impossibly dark scarlet, almost black, sharing a similar pattern. Impossibly old, wise beyond reason, but still as full of life as a child. Jack nearly stumbles as he watches the imposing woman that emanates power and knowledge come closer. "Don't run away anymore, boy." _

_ Jack finally realises she is talking to him, but he doesn't understand. "Wha...What did ye say?"_

_ "Don't run away anymore," the lady sage repeats. "The Fates do not care for those who run from their destiny."_

_ "What...what are you talking about?" The woman seemingly pays no heed to Jack's question. _

_ "Even now they try to detain you," she says, contemplatively glancing at the blurred spot of earth below him, "but you apparently do not accept their judgement. Why? Even when your fate stares you in the face, you are blind to it. It wouldn't do to upset Lachesis. She has a reason for everything that occurs."_

_ "Lachesis?"_

_ "The Fate who weaves the Thread of Life after her Sister Atropos, the Thread that delineates your destiny." Jack shakes his head and tries his best to stop moving._

_ "Look, you're not makin' any sense. Why do you think I'm running?" Jack narrows his eyes and smiles coldly and rigidly at the youthful hag, as if to reiterate the ridiculousness of her words. "I **know **my destiny: Lela. Lela's my destiny. Always has been, always will. Not you...or some arrogant deity wiv a thread'n'scissors...can tell me otherwise." The old woman smirks._

_ "Would that you completely believed that." Jack blinks, wondering what she means. She begins to circle Jack, looking at him, trying to discern something. "Or perhaps you **do **believe it..." Suddenly, she smiles knowingly. "Perhaps...you lack the courage go through with it." Jack looks down, not in shame, but in confusion. Was what she said true? "Ah," the woman says slowly, nodding her head. "That **is **it." She stretches out one bony finger and lifts Jack's chin. She stares into his eyes with frightening intensity, the wicked grin still dancing on her painted lips. "You feel hesitation, not because you doubt your love for her...but you are left in the dark," as if on cue, the sky darkens more and low thunder shakes the sky, "as to what she thought then, what she thinks now...what she has been through, what secrets she keeps..." _

_ The thunder grows louder...no, the growling of the creature in the shadows. Jack fearfully glances at it from the side of his eyes since the woman still had her grasp on his face. She speaks again and draws away his attention. "It won't leave you, boy..." Jack leans closer, prompting her to continue her strange and secretive advise. "That," she says pointing with her free hand, "is what you fear. It lurks in the shadows of your mind for you yourself do not know what it is. It won't leave you...until you do know...and you **conquer **it." _

_ The ancient woman releases Jack's chin and grips his shoulders. "You can only receive so much help," she lifts him partly up out of the vibrantly coloured whirlpool, "but in the end, it is **you** who must take control of your destiny..." A shining bubble, solid in that it doesn't move outside its boundaries, liquid in that it moves and pulsates, grows and floats in the woman's weathered hand adorned with rings. It swells within her palm and both she and Jack gaze into it. Inside Jack sees flashes of images depicting him...and Lela. When they were children, playing...best friends, growing up together...a young man and woman, falling in love...adults, traversing similar paths of thieving, riches, and adventure...Jack winces and guilt fills his heart...him leaving, Lela heartbroken...Lela leaving, defiant, despairing, and delusional... Wrapping her fingers around the shifting sphere, the old woman squeezes it into nothingness. She once more authoritatively glares at Jack. "It is one thing to know the road you must take," she whispers, and behind her dozens of twisting roads appear, each with an indecipherable sign, "it is quite another...to gain the blind faith to traverse that path. You must find that destiny, Jack, and **live **it."_

_ Seconds before, Jack has pulled himself from that churning pool of hopelessness. But when he hears the old crone say his name, he calls out to her as she walks away. "Wait!" She doesn't listen. "Damn it all, wait!" He tries to run after her, the sides of the buildings in the alley stretching and blurring, as she gets farther and farther away. "How do you know my name?" he shouts, still running. "How do you know about **Lela**? About **US**?!" All fades to darkness..._

And they that did dream, dreamt no more...

Below the troubled Jack, beneath the captain's room, down in the bowels of the Siren Fire, the first misty violet orange glimmers of daylight filtered down to the face of the equally troubled Lela. Groaning, she finally woke up after an eternity of secluded darkness. Lela felt groggy, sore, and terribly hung-over. Leaning on her arm to hoist herself up, she grimaced at the multitude of tiny cuts there. Glancing to the corner of her cage, she saw and dually noted the smashed bottle, little pieces of brown glass reflecting the weak rays of sunlight. Lela forced herself to turn over, and used her other arm to push herself up into a sitting position. "Ugh," she moaned quietly, "my _head_. Oh, my **_head_**! Jaysus..." She roughly shook herself, trying to wake up fully. Her vision blurred and became dark and splotchy. She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes until bright spots of colour rippled behind her eyelids. Upon opening them, Lela's attention was drawn past the barred door to what lay about 2 or 3 metres in front of her: the ring of keys.

Lela sighed and crawled closer to the door. "Eros," she called softly. "Eros!" In the last cage on the left (or the first cage on her right), a slight tremor ran through the smallest of the beasts within. The baby leopard looked as though it were about to get up, but then, like a child delaying their going to school, let out a big yawn and snuggled closer to his mother. Lela smiled and shook her head. "Come on then, Eros, ye lazy lit'ul fthing." The small cat's ear flickered. He slowly opened his big brown and black eyes and raised his head in the direction of his mistress. Eros saw her waving at him and he quickly got up and walked to the edge of the cage. Lela began to point at the key ring on the floor and motion that he should get it for her. Delighted at the prospect of being able to help his caregiver, he spun around and pounced at the door of the cage.

Unfortunately, the reason he _was _so delighted to help Lela was because he was very little, and not very strong. And so instead of shoving the door open and bounding out, the poor little thing just rammed his head into it. Eros flopped back to the floor, landing on his backside. He shook his head from side to side...and then leaped at the door again. And again, his ill-fated little noggin clanked against the metal bars. The rather pitiful display repeated only once more before his consistent pounding woke Eros's mother, Aphrodite. Practically rolling her large eyes, the lovely leopard effortlessly and gracefully nudged the door open with her paw, just as her small cub was undauntedly running at the door yet again. This time, though, the door was already open. So instead of bashing his noggin into metal bars, he flew out of the cage and collided headfirst with the wooden floor, and rolled over and over till he smashed into the door of the neighbouring cage opposite to Eros and Aphrodite. Although Lela looked a little worried for the cub, his mother merely shook her head and lay back down to sleep.

Upside down, rump in the air, with his back against the cage, Eros slid down and shakily sat himself upright, wagging and shaking his head again. Finally, he was outside his cage, upright, and able to get the key ring. He leaned down, caught it up in his mouth, and proudly pranced to the end of the room where his imprisoned mistress eagerly held out her hands. While the right lifted the slightly slobbery metal ring from the jaws of the beast, the left appreciatively patted the small cub on the head and scratched his chin. With a growling purr of delight, Eros, puffed with pride, complacently strode back to his mother and properly lay down to sleep.

Only one little chuckle escaped Lela's lips before Eros's head snapped up. Lela quickly stopped and looked around. "Who was that then?" she asked to the surrounding creatures. "Come, come, now moi dears, confess, admit!" She looked dejectedly back at Eros. "Wha? What, ye think **_I _**was laughing?" She held out her hands, her mouth open, as if wondering aloud how in the world could she be blamed. "Oh, that hurts dear! Really it does. I promise to find the scoundrel and pop 'em one in the snotbox! Yep, s'right, tha's wha ye get f'laughing at moi lit'ul Eros." Apparently pleased with her rather lengthy 'I didn't do it' speech, Eros finally settled down for good. Lela was careful this time and only smiled as she held onto the bars of the door to pull herself up so that she could stand.

After a few moments, she felt strong enough to stand on her own and let go of the door. Jingling the keys, she flipped through them and found the one she was looking for. Reaching outside and twisting her arm through, she finally managed to place the key in the lock, and with a _clank _and a _creak_, the cage door swayed slowly open. Lela stepped out, wobbling a little, took the key out of the lock, and turned to go up on deck. As she walked down through the two rows of creatures, she gazed at them lovingly. "Thanks, luvs, f'putting up wiv me again last night." She started up the stairs and turned back only once more. "Now I must go'n'brave somefthing even more dangerous than you," she murmured, smiling wryly.

The early morning fog swept across the deck and the only sounds were that of the creaking of the ship and the rush of the sea as it lapped at the hull. Once up on deck, a chill ran through Lela and she shivered. But as she looked down, she realised her shivering was because of her clothes: they were shredded and ripped, some beyond repair. "Well if I don't look like a bloody bang from Turkey..." she mumbled, quietly embarrassed at the excess of skin she was showing. _I'll have to go change before Jack...oh no...Jack. He's still in my room, asleep. Or at least, I hope he is. No telling what he'll do if he sees me like this._

Lela would've walked through her doors right away, but something...or someone...or someoneS...lying on either side of the entryway grabbed her attention. It was Collette and Minou, the lovely Frenchies. Collette was leaning against the wall, her head leaning down slightly. Minou was curled up on the ground like a little...um..._minou_. "Now what were you two up to?" Lela said softly.

The previous evening...

(A/N: Just to make it easier to understand, Collette and Minou's dialogue is going to be in English--mostly--rather than French...)

_"Zut alors, Collette, why am I doing this again?"_

_ "Parce que, tu doit!!" (Because, you must!!)_

_ "Well...then...so do you!"_

_ "Shh! Be quiet, or they'll hear us!"_

_ "But they haven't said anything the whole time we've been here."_

_ "We've only been here 5 minutes."_

_ "It seemed longer..."_

_ "Oh, wait! The one called...um, Paque?"_

_ "No, no, Jacque."_

_ "Ah, yes. He is saying...something."_

_ "Ooh, that helps."_

_ "Ferme la bousche..." (Shut your mouth...)_

_ "Hmm?"_

_ "Rien." (Nothing.)_

_ "Teehee, I bet I know what he's saying."_

_ "What?"_

_ "He's talking to __Capitaine, __and saying 'Voulez vous coucher avec moi...ce coir?' Heeheeheehee..."_

_ "Minou, __quelle horribles parler!__" (Minou, how awful to say!)_

_ "Tsk, tsk, you know you think it's funny."_

_ "Well...well, yes."_

_ "Voulez vous coucher avec moi..."_

_ "Ce soir?"_

_ "Ha ha ha! Hey...that could be a song..."_

_ They looked at each other. But concluded with a simultaneous..._

_ "Nah!"_

"Hmm," Lela murmured. "Oh well." She laughed. "It's not like they were spying or anyfthing!"

Lela finally walked into her cabin, quietly opening and closing the door. She took a quick look at her bed and there was Jack, still asleep and in one of his 'fitful slumberings', just as she had said the day before. He was sprawled out on the bed, occasionally tossing, and quietly snoring. Lela smiled and then tiptoed to her armoire and pulled out a chemise, a loose pair of bloomers, a white collared shirt with ¾ length sleeves and laced up in the back, a tight-fitting pair of brown trousers, and a long purple scarf embroidered with Indian patterns and designs for her hair. She had to be very quiet since her armoire was right next to her bed, and Jack was lying there. Gathering her clothes in her arms, Lela crept to the other corner of the room and slipped behind the standing screen. With a little manoeuvring, she was able to get out of her tattered garments. Lela threw them to the side and continued to change into her underclothes. But she still hadn't noticed that her scarf wasn't there...

**A/N: **Lala la, lalala la, another chapter done! I was determined, I was fierce, I never gave up!! Time to write the next chapter!

DORY: Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming...

And this time I PROMISE to be FASTER, AAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!! runs off into the distance waving laptop, coffee, and PotC DVD...

To Be Continued...Very Soon...I Hope...Oh, Dear...

PS

Does anyone know why I can't use the little carrot things on the keyboard anymore (Shift6)? I can't make my Japanese computer smilies, waaaaaagh!!!!!!!


	20. Chapter 20

**_I Can't Ever Leave You_** (I STIIIIILL hate this title...)

By Kitty

**A/N: **OH. MY. GGGGGOOOOODDDDD! It has been almost a fuh-reaking YEAR. AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH! WTF, WTF, **_W T F_**! Ok, I've been much too MUCH too busy. I'm a junior in high school now. gulp No, wait...now I'm kind of a SENIOR. ACK! sigh This may be just kind of an excuse as to why it's been so long, but here's what we've been up to...

**Summer 2004:** I got to skip Honours Day and Prize Day in May at my school (YAY!) so I could go to my fraternal grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary (holy crud, 50 years, go Jim and Claudette!).

**Fall 2004:** Junior classes suck, especially chemistry and American Literature. I was in "Into the Woods" at Mount Michael (boys boarding school) and I played Cinderella. I made some new friends, caught up with some old friends, and one of the old friends is now my boyfriend, who'd a-thunk it...? Giselle But, but...the _oldness_! smack but with a giggle Silly wench! He's not _really_ a Mysterious Old Man, though when first he appears he _does_ seem mysterious, delirious, deleterious...

**Winter 2004:** Awesome Christmas, new video editing software yay! Still with my new beau. Had my second annual New Year's Eve Party, t'was kick-ass.

**Spring 2005:** Blech, more school. Was in "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" as Sally (his neurotic 5-year-old blonde sister, I had to wear a wig...) Uuum, decided that my religious affiliation, if someone forces me to label my spiritual beliefs, was basically Liberal Quaker, lol, don't ask, and don't confuse Quakers with Amish, completely different. Had one too many times where I would get behind in either chemistry or American Literature and get overwhelmed. Worked on trailers for "WICKED: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West", "Echoed Lullaby", "LaMasqueDuMinet the CheshireKat", and "The End...And Then Some" presented by my amateur film company OverDramatic Productions (didn't get 'em finished in time for the film festival... sneaky glance The festival? The festival! I wish to go to the festival! Heehee, sorry couldn't help it!).

**Beginning of Summer 2005: **Took my finals, blah, I hate 'em, I hate 'em, I HATE 'em! I think I did ok though, and my grades shouldn't be horrible. As long as I have no Ds I'll still be alive when me mum receives my report card, heh heh heh. Made a new friend, Alex, he be crazy cool, go see mah shanga (xanga) at and find out more about him, and me, and my terribly amusing daily ramblings. Saw "12 Monkeys" at my new friend Dan's house (well, technically he's Tim's—my boyfriend—friend, but now he's kinda my friend too. Dan says I'm tolerable, which, coming from him, is a compliment, since I'm a 3 and he's a 4. ; Don't ask, go look up enneagrams...) AND I started working on my PotC fic again!

But I have the WORST case of writer's block I have ever had! silence... For those of you who are wondering where my darling little Eric is: yes, he is still my Muse; NO, he cannot be here today on account of my reconsideration of his worthiness for the **_title_** of Muse!

Reviews: 129!

Favourite Story or Favourite Author of: 13 readers

On Author Alert for: 18 readers

OK, enough ROTA (**R**amblings **O**f **T**he **A**uthor). **_ONTO THE STORY!_**

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Lela finally walked into her cabin, quietly opening and closing the door. She took a quick look at her bed and there was Jack, still asleep and in one of his 'fitful slumberings', just as she had said the day before. He was sprawled out on the bed, occasionally tossing, and quietly snoring. Lela smiled and then tiptoed to her armoire and pulled out a chemise, a loose pair of bloomers, a white collared shirt with ¾ length sleeves and laced up in the back, a tight-fitting pair of brown trousers, and a long purple scarf embroidered with Indian patterns and designs for her hair. She had to be very quiet since her armoire was right next to her bed, and Jack was lying there.

Gathering her clothes in her arms, Lela crept to the other corner of the room and slipped behind the standing screen. With a little manoeuvring, she was able to get out of her tattered garments. Lela threw them to the side and continued to change into her underclothes. But she still hadn't noticed that her scarf wasn't there...

Jack was in darkness, utter black darkness. He didn't know if he was awake and just hadn't opened his eyes, awake and blind, or half-dead and drowning in a tar pit. Since he was pretty positive he was still breathing, the pirate doubted he was drowning in tar. There had been many times where people had told him that one day he would drink himself half-blind; Jack had been chugging rum on a daily basis since he was 12 and if that hadn't made him half-blind, then he certainly couldn't be completely blind now. So then he was awake...or at least, he was in that odd place between full consciousness and dreaming where everything seemed hazy and sluggish.

It was only when he heard a drawer open and close beside his head that he began to stir. When his drooping eyelids finally, lethargically opened, he slung his weary head to the side and looked. Nothing. There was no one there, just a tall dark wood armoire. Disappointed from being roused from sleep when there wasn't something (or someone) to look at, Jack rolled his head back to its original resting place.

Just then he heard something drop on the ground. His bloodshot eyes snapped open and he whipped his head in the direction of the noise. Nothing. _I'm **sure **I heard something. _It hadn't been a loud sound, not like something completely solid that hit the wooden floor. It was softer, more muffled, like a piece of cloth. As he began to drift back to sleep, he heard the sound again. This time, Jack scrambled up, turning his head repeatedly, his braids flying all about his face.

_Nothing, nothing, **fucking bloody NOTHING.**_

Then he happened to look down and see some pieces of clothing there. It was then that Jack began to feel rather irritated with himself. If something had dropped onto the _ground_, why would it be in _mid-air_ where he had been looking? Any further attempts to fall asleep again were obviously futile so the groggy captain quietly got up from his captor's bed. At that moment when he began to softly tread across the floor he suddenly remembered where he was and whose ship he was on.

Jack's mind slowly replayed bits and pieces of the previous night: their playful brawls, their constant arguments and childish banter, Lela decided to make him sleep alone in her bed while she slept in the brig. _That was **entirely** unfair, by the way! _Jack knelt on the ground and began to examine the mysterious piece of clothing. _Those few random lit'ul kisses, and I mean, come OFF it, we were wrestling on her bed for heaven sake, and then she decides that we need to sleep separately! _

His fingers grasped a corner of the fabric and before further inspection, he sighed with renewed disappointment and the need for her to be close. _The room looks like it's of her; evey'fthing, the décor, the walls, the ceiling, the floor! It's all **her**. And the bed... _Jack sighed again as his eyes slid closed and the reminisces of sleeping there. _Her bed **smells** like her, _he thought. _Dusky, sweet, heady...like the scent of...madness...and wilting flowers in an opium den._Jack's skin tingled as it too remembered the warmth and comfort and soothing softness of that divine divan. _The bed...**feels** like her. It was like evey'fthing about her stayed there when she left an impression on that bed. Intoxicating scent, smooth skin, soft lips, silky hair, brilliant eyes, taunting and teasing me, playing with me, tempting me, seducing me..._

As it so often seemed to happen, Jack's little reverie was interrupted. The offender this time was a boot that hit the floor. He apprehensively looked down at the black leather shoe, the square toe and the height of the thick wedge heel making his shins suddenly hurt. Then Jack saw the dressing screen in front of him wobble. It had a dark cherry wood frame, and fierce wild cats, similar to the ones adorning the outside door, were painted on the translucent tan rice paper. There came a _thump_ sound from behind the screen and then a hissing gasping groan from a female voice, followed by a series of quietly screamed curses that made even the loose-tongued Jack raise an eyebrow. He was momentarily distracted by the hand that reached around the right side of the panels to steady it, when he saw another black item fly up over the top of the screen. He saw it approaching him too late.

With a sharp _smack _the object collided with Jack's forehead and the pirate squeezed his eyes and mouth shut, desperately trying to not howl with pain. He swung his arms around, clenching his fists and tightening the joints in his fingers, and his mouth opened and closed with silent pleas and swears. After he had finally calmed down and he had sufficiently finished his histrionic dance of pain, Jack closed his eyes, stretched his hands out before him, and softly and shakily sighed in an effort to compose himself. Looking down, he saw what had hit him: the other boot's mate. He gave a sly smile towards the screen. _I don't think she knows I'm awake... _Jack looked down again to the pile of clothing that had accumulated before she accidentally—_She's **not** doing it on purpose, right?_—threw her belt at him. He picked up the shirt once more for scrutiny. It was Lela's, of course, the one she had been wearing yesterday. _The one that she **wouldn't** have been wearing had it been up to me._ He rolled his eyes and mentally kicked himself. _Stop that, ye great idiot!_

Jack brought the blouse closer to his face and found something...interesting. His brow furrowed and he ran his tanned fingers over the irregularities in the fabric. The shirt was snagged and torn in places. It looked as though several blades or something had slashed through it repeatedly. Jack worriedly looked up at the silhouette of the woman behind the screen but shook his head. _Last night she told me not to go after her, under any circumstances what-so-evah. _Jack's forehead creased even more. _She obviously had a reason for bein' so serious about that. It'll kill me not to know right this second, but..._ He quietly set the shredded top on the floor and stood up. _I don'want to push her away no more, or do somefthing that'll make her push me away. _Jack rubbed his eyes and began to softly tread closer to the dressing screen. _And hell if I ain't completely fuckin' whipped by ye, ya crazy wench._He smiled as he carefully peaked around the corner on the left of the frame. _Hope ye didn't hear that, luv. _

Lela had her back to him with her bare arms out in front of her. She was spreading a creamy aromatic salve over her arms, shoulders, hands, and fingers, occasionally making tiny gasps as if the ointment stung her skin. To Jack's left by the wall there was a tall wooden hat stand of sorts where a decorative dark violet scarf hung upon a peg. Hearing a louder whimper and seeing a cringe run through the woman, Jack felt that nagging prickle in his mind that whined at him to throw a barrage of questions at Lela, but he pushed those thoughts aside. His glance drifted back to the stand and he eyed the long piece of wine-coloured silk; his trademark cheeky grin slid through his lips. He had something in mind that would be more fun that interrogating her.

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_Sssss-aagghh__! Good **fuckin****'** lord, this **hurts**! _Lela winced as the gooey balm seeped into her skin. _Oooh__, it stings, it stings, it stings. Sometimes I wonder if the pain I go through to heal is **worth** the healing I go through just for more pain. _Her finger grazed an acutely tender spot, making her tremble and cry out softly. She sighed and snapped the earthenware lid shut upon the attached jar. _I don't care if it's supposed to help with healing, this is plenty fine and good for now. _Lela set the container on the small table in front of her and blew on her hands to try and cool the flames.

She looked down to see her languid progress of getting dressed. Her legs had been rubbed with ointment and bandaged but were now covered by loose black trousers. It would probably be hot, but long pants would ensure that few to no questions would be asked about her injured state. Lela's ribs were lightly bruised but again, her wounds would be covered by a long slack shirt. At the moment her top half was only concealed by a small pale cream chemise that hugged her skin with a welcome cool silkiness. _Damn. Forgot to get a new shirt. I'll get it in a minute. Now where is my...? _

Lela reached back to the stand next to the wall to get her headscarf to keep the majority of her hair out of her face. Confused at not feeling the scarf's silky touch skim across her fingers, she looked over her shoulder. It wasn't hanging on its peg. She fully turned around and took a small step forward. There was nothing on the stand or on the floor beneath it. However there seemed to be something in front of the screen to her left. Lela turned her head slightly, suspicion dancing in her eyes.

Taking two quiet paces forward, she whisked her head around to peruse the other side. Nothing. "Hmm...?" she quietly murmured. "I coulda sworn..." She shook her head and stepped back to lean on one foot. Crossing her arms, she narrowed her eyes and surveyed her apartment. To her right, the main doors were shut. Her dark and weathered cap sat upon her sea chest. The drawers in her desk were closed and no papers seemed to be out of place on the countertop. As Lela questioningly bit her bottom lip and she wondered was seemed incongruous, she suddenly realised the strangeness she felt wasn't because something had been moved or because a door was ajar. _Somefthing's__...missing..._

Before she had any more time to ponder, Lela felt an arm encircle her bare waist and then a hand brushing back her long black hair. She fleetingly assumed that the arm and hand belonged to an attacker, and she was about to fling him over her shoulder when a pair of moistened lips branded the side of her neck with a scorching kiss, and a strong scent washed over her. Her nostrils were filled with the exhilarating odour of alcohol, it travelled back into her mouth where her taste buds sparked with the sensation of tasting salt and spices, and it finally whispered down her throat like a crisp cool wind. Her eyes flickered half-closed and she inhaled erratically, partially because of the intensely cold skin that the burning lips had drawn away from, but mostly because Lela wanted to take in more of that enlivening scent and presence of the man behind her.

Jack lifted the silken scarf to his captor's hair, purposefully letting it sweep up against her arm and over the skin of her exposed midriff. Another shudder ran through the woman in front of him but it was obvious it wasn't from fear. Lightly throwing one end over her head, he let it settle onto her hair, and pulled the two ends of cloth through each other and tied it. The woman's head tilted back a little, as if she had lost control of it, and Jack, smiling wryly, slid his hand once more onto her stomach. After only a moment's hesitation, he even dared to take her left hand in his own and bring it up to cradle the side of his head.

Lela reached back further of her own accord and pressed her palm against the pirate's braided hair, leaned further in his embrace, and silently implored him to hold her tighter. Jack let out the breath he had been holding and felt as though a great boulder had just been moved from his chest. He grasped her more forcefully and he squeezed his eyes shut even tighter. His surrender may have been weak and suicidal, but he quite honestly didn't give a damn. At that moment it looked as if he had a choice: either love her so much it hurt, alone; or love her so much it hurt, with her, and have her love him so much it hurt. Jack rested his head in her hair after eloquently placing a prolonged firm kiss on Lela's temple and deeply sighing at the same time.

The second option was the only option. _Why can't I leave ya, luv? I can't **evuh** leave you._

A few minutes later, Lela finally broke the silence, comfortable though it was. "Jack," she whispered hesitantly, "I'm sorry about last night." She hung her head and Jack felt the rest of her droop a little. "I didn't mean to be so secretive. I mean, I suppose I _meant_ to, but it was only because I felt I had to, but I just—." Jack's fingertips cut her off as they rushed to her mouth to quiet her as they had many times many years ago.

"Hush, girl," he murmured, and he smiled. "Don't worry about it, Elley. There's obviously a lot a'fthings wha's happened since last we were togevvuh." Jack gently flicked her nose. "Ye nevvuh were too ready to give up good secrets, I don'spect ye to be that way now."

Lela slowly grinned, but she tried once more to get out the truth of things. "But are you sure you don't want me to tell—?" Once again, she was interrupted, only this time Jack gave her a quick turn and stopped her with a kiss. She made a noise of surprise but eventually began to giggle.

Jack shook his head. "Silly girl, listen to me more often! You don't have to go into all of the details now, s'all right, I don'wan ya to be angry wiv me any more. But..." He cupped Lela's chin and looked in her eyes with an almost uncharacteristic seriousness. "Promise...that you'll tell me...sooner or later?" But of course his playfulness crept into his most significant of requests. "Preferably sooner? Eventually, at least? Before I die, for gods sakes!" Lela couldn't help laughing despite her efforts to take his entreaty seriously.

"Yes, yes, all right, all right!" She continued to giggle, feeling like the two were joking together as children back in Sleego. She reached up to lay the back of her hand against Jack's rough cheek and looked at him with understanding and sincerity. "Don't worry, Jack. I promise to tell you...ev'eyfthing. Soon." A mischievous childlike grin suddenly grew on her face, replacing the mature adult mouth. "But, if you want me to tell you sooner..." Lela gazed up at him with a look that screamed of wickedness. "There are two fthings you can do for me..." Jack lewd mind sprang to attention as he wondered what she would ask of him. "First..." The fingers on her right hand drew invisible lines from Jack's cheek to his lips. She smiled impishly. "Call me 'Elley' again." Her leer softened. "I miss that..."

Although he was mildly disappointed in the first of her terms of the accelerated promise, Jack was also intrigued by her still childish nature. "All right then. What is the second thing ole Jack can do for you...Elley?" As if reading his mind and granting his wish, Lela lightly pushed her captive into the wall and leaned closely against him.

"Second..." she murmured as she placed one palm against Jack's beating heart. "Kiss me again," she whispered, her breath tantalising the sensitive skin of Jack's ear. "I miss that too..."

Silent for a moment, Jack turned his head, making his lips collide with Lela's own ear. He softly said, "I've missed calling you 'Elley,' luv..." His soft words became more hushed and turned into a rough whisper. "As for kissing you..." Jack smoothly turned the tables; Lela was now pinned to the wall by Jack, the captor becoming the captive. "Well...it's been far too long, Elle..."

Without another word Jack brought Lela's face forward and slowly kissed her. It hadn't turned out quite like Lela had planned, but... She took one more appreciative glance of the tanned skin, the heavy-lidded bronze eyes, and the wild hair of her beloved, before her own eyes slipped closed. _No, _she thought. _This is better._

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A/N: **I'm sosososoSOso sorry it's taken so long! To my DASH girlies who read, thank you for not abandoning me or ICELY. To all the FFN readers who have just been keeping an eye on this, thank you too! I really love this story, I love writing it, reading it over again, and then reading your reviews. I don't want it to fall into the Pit of Abandoned and Unfinished Stories, so please know that I am working fervently to dispel this accursèd WRITER'S BLOCK.

ERIC: Dun dun DUUUN!

Oh, dear...

ERIC: I'm baaa-aaaaack!

Dundun DUUUUUN!

ERIC: Hey! That's my line!

Dundundun...teeheehee...

Hey does anyone know why we can't have the "SHIFT-6" and "squiggly-symbol-next-to-the-1!-key" symbols anymore!

Drink and be merry and bed many-a-fair lad! (Er, y'know...lass...whate're floats yer boat...)

Fare thee well, safe journeys, and I'll be in Scotland a'fore ye! (Really, I will! Or the mental institution, I'm not exactly sure...)

Love,

kitty--Ibea Female Pirate, Savvy?


	21. Chapter 21

**_I Can't Ever Leave You_** (I STILL hate this title...)

By Kitty

**A/N: **Allo luvs! Ahem, yes... Out Stats right now...

Reviews: 140! CRIKEY!  
Favourite Story or Favourite Author of: 14 readers  
On Author Alert for: 19 readers

I've got some great things going for turning this story into a book, like changing obviously copy-righted names and places and situations, and writing more of a beginning to show Jack's and Lela's history because I won't have a movie to fill in all of the implied stuff...

Once again, I'm so freakin' sorry about it being so long. I think I might have a new muse, for when I returned home this previous eve I was struck with the voracious will and need to write. Hope you enjoy it darlings, and you know what they say: good things come to those who wait...

Oh yeah, quick "warning" for the kiddies out there who either have nanny programs on their computer installed by strict paranoid parents, and for the squeamish people who have apparently think that depicting sexual acts in PG-13 or R movies is fine but depicting it in a written form is somehow filthy and unacceptable.

clears throat DISCLAIMER: This chapter contains mildly sexually explicit situations and the people mentioned above are hereby forewarned "If ye don't like my cookin', please don't start bitchin', step away and stop lookin', and get ye the hell out of me kitchen!" Basically, if you want to know what's going on, you read everything, and if the more risqué parts bother you for whatever reason, GET OVER IT. cough Erm, thank you. Onto the story!

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Concealed behind the thick carved doors on the Siren Fire, the two reunited lovers and pirates shamelessly ravished each other like giggling libidinous adolescents rolling around in a haystack.

Meanwhile on the Gremlin Flame, there was another shameless display of brazen activity occurring at the same moment. However unlike the pirate captains who had the luxury of an entire private compartment, the two people in the galley were confined to a wobbly wooden table at the edge of the room. The first figure was a young man who, although tall in stature, possessed less muscle mass than his female companion. The woman stood only a head shorter than the gauche lanky lad that she was practically overpowering.

The boy, Riley, clumsily flung his hands around and about the older woman's form, desperately and boorishly trying to reciprocate the feelings of pleasure that were running through him. Judith mercilessly attacked the lad's innocent neck with weapons of lips and teeth. Despite Riley's earlier efforts to hold her off and his current guttural groans and ridiculous juvenile noises, she continued her assault with her hesitation and nausea hidden. Judith had no real interest in the young man; he was little more than a boy to her.

But there was a reason for her seduction of him: the need for a dogsbody who would obey her every command and be her eyes and ears around the ships of Captain Lela Bratchkep. And she could tell from the look on his face that he would indeed soon be her devoted drudge and lackey.

Unfortunately Judith was not a very patient person about anything.

While her hands kept roaming, her lips brushed Riley's earlobe as she whispered, "I feel so close to you, Riley, like we could tell each other anything..." The boy just nodded dumbly as his breathing became even more erratic. Judith leaned closer and continued with, "You feel the same way, don't you?" Again, he just enthusiastically nodded. "You must prove yourself," the steely-eyed minx growled. "Tell me, dearest. You've been with Captain Lela since her start, yes?" It took a great amount of effort on Judith's part to not strangle Riley as he continued to shake his head up and down like an idiot. She coughed and poured more honey into her treacle tone. "Ahem. Where-ever did she get these magnificent ships? Oh, Riley, please tell me..."

"Um, w-well, I, I-I-I don't really know, uh, actually." The young man laughed sheepishly until blazing molten grey eyes snapped up to catch his. Riley gulped in fear (and anticipation) as he momentarily had the chance to wonder what her reaction would be. His hopes and fears were realised when Judith roughly grabbed him by his shoulders and pushed him back to pin him to the table.

"**_What_** do you **_mean_** you don't really **_know_**!"

Riley looked around awkwardly, thinking that any moment another crew member would burst into the room, and either congratulate him (for getting such attention from a woman and then spreading the news, thereby greatly improving the boy's popularity,) or howl with laughter that he had gotten pinned down by a woman. Riley frantically tried to answer the irate sadist dominatrix. "I-I-I mean, erm, I do kn-know that sh-she got them b-both at th-the same t-time, s-some time during her travels t-to F-F-F-F-France...!"

Judith's nostrils flared a little as she brought her head down so that her heated grey gaze bored into the lad's own nervous twitching eyes, searching and scrutinising. Finally she murmured, "Good lad..." the coy and sugared air back in her voice. "Ah, yes, I do believe we shall get along just fine."

( >> FFN-WONT-FREAKIN-LEMME-USE-MY-SYMBOLS-OUTPH-MAN-OU-T-P-H >>)

Back in Captain Lela's quarters, the two unconventional pirate captains were faced with an unconventional problem: they were in love and had buried most of the hatchet (there was still a stub of the handle that poked above the ground) but what would become of Captain Bratchkep's plans to make off with the treasure of Isla du Muerta? And even if that problem could be solved, it merely gave birth to a new problem: after all the fuss that had been made about capturing Captain Sparrow and his ship, the Black Pearl, how would they explain to their crews what the new plan was without looking like weak conspiring cowards and losing the crews' respect and loyalty?

However, there were other things occupying Jack's and Lela's minds that seemed much more important and much more pressing at that moment. So what better way to figure out a solution to an unconventional problem than to use the conventional method of multitasking?

"I'm in a right mess," Lela gasped between her captive's relentless kisses. "I don't know whether to just go ahead with my original plan, or," she paused to brush back Jack's beaded braids and place a zealous series of osculating nips on the exposed flesh at the base of his neck, "or, if I should, if, if we should, try and think of something else." Having said her piece, she brought her lips back to meet Jack's neck and ears and cheeks and lips.

Despite the many distractions that came from Lela, Jack tried to answer her implied question as best he could. "W-well, luv," he ventured as his nerves began to shiver from the acute pinpricks that rained down on his skin, "neither of us want to make fools of ourselves when we try and explain fthings to the crew." Bordering on a sensory overload, Jack hissed in air through his teeth when Lela pressed her tongue against the beating pulse in his neck, and his hands flew up onto her back, running up and down from shoulders to waist. "We could say that we've put aside our differences and have decided to join forces."

"Mmm, no, that's too simple," whispered Lela. "They'd all wonder too much about why we've suddenly made amends when we were never very clear about what our qualms wiv each other were in the first place. Well, wait..." Her eyes flickered as calloused fingertips raked across her lower back. "Conleth," she continued. "Conleth is the only one I've even hinted to about what our history was."

Jack lips feathered down Lela's forehead, nose, mouth, and chin. "That's a lit'ul bit like what I've told Gibbs," he guiltily admitted, "except I gave him more of a history lesson on us than a hint..." Lela momentarily stopped and gave her love a questioning, almost scolding, look. "Wha--? Don't look at me like that! Is'not like I told 'im **_ev'ey_**fthing!"

They both couldn't help but begin chuckling and resuming their "multitasking." Lela drew her nails back and forth against Jack's chest. "Ah, in any case, we have to have a better reason."

As Lela leaned forward to rest her head on his shoulder, Jack's eyes lit up with an old mischief that Lela knew too well.

"What if we happen to have some sort'a lit'ul contest or somefthing?" Lela sat up and her eyes silently told him to go on. Jack's lips curved into a small smile for a moment. _She never **could** resist hearing about a plan..._ He blinked twice, licked his bottom lip, and continued. "Not a contest, uuummm...a duel! Yes, a friendly duel between two great pirate captains and old friends..."

"To determine who will get to have the treasure of Isla du Muerta," Lela finished for him. "But instead of one of us losing..."

"We'll both fight equally and declare the duel as being a tie." Jack smiled, his teeth flashing with the same misbehaviour as his eyes. "Even though, of course, I'd beat you in a real duel..." Lela scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"You won't ever change, will you Jack?"

"Is that a question asking if I'll always be irking you in one way or anofther? Or is that a question asking me to **_not_** ever change? Haha!"

"The first one, definitely," Lela sneered, and then her expression grew gentler, as it often seemed to do. "But...the second one, too..."

"Well then, yes, and..." Jack abruptly pulled her closer into his arms and held her head to his chest. "And the second one...no...not if you don't want me to."

Lela snuggled more into her captive's embrace. "Good," she murmured. Jack smiled again, bent his head down, and kissed her lips.

"Very good?" he teased.

"Yes," Lela taunted back, as if she firmly believed that her words the previous evening were just fine, "**_very_** good..."

Jack lightly poked at Lela's stomach, eliciting a small slap that came with a giggle. "So you know what this means? Now you **_have_** to gimme back my effects!"

"Pssh!" the lady replied. "And why should I do that? You need but a sword to have a duel."

"Ah," Jacked mused, stroking his hirsute chin, "so you were thinking that it was supposed to be a fair duel! Oh, lord no, moi good lass, in a fair fight you might actually beat me, so it wouldn't be very smart of me to fight fair then, would it?"

"All right, fine. But perhaps..." Once again, the tables turned, and Lela lightly knocked the back of her beloved's legs, causing them to fall out from underneath him. Jack fell to the ground and Lela, sinking down against the wall, slowly crawled up to his chest and slid her palms across his shoulders and out to his hands. She softly dragged the tips of her nails from Jack's fingertips to his wrists, and when his mouth dropped open with a gasping sigh, she only let her weight give into gravity more. "Perhaps," she continued subtly, "there is some way to..." Lela moved her head down to Jack's, seemingly in order to kiss him, but then suddenly she faintly pulled away, much to her captive's frustration and disappointment. "Some way to...persuade you..." She was deliberately being cruel and breathing so gently and lightly that it was sending Jack's mind reeling over the edge of the physical world, he was absolutely sure of it! "To fight fair..." Once more she placed her lips achingly close to his. "With me?"

Jack couldn't take it. He just couldn't take it. Finally giving in to temptation, one hand flew to the back of Lela's head and the other hand slung around her waist. Gripping her side and pulling her head down, Jack kissed her deeply, out of both physical need and the need of his pounding heart to make sure she was right there with him and that she wasn't going anywhere.

Lela mumbled something but was taken in Jack's fervent compulsive attentions. She felt mildly disappointed when Jack rolled on top of her because she had lost control, and it seemed that like so many times before, her plan did not work out the way she planned. But after a few minutes, then after a few more minutes, her brain pointedly questioned: did she **_really_** mind so much?

"Perhaps," Jack whispered a while later. As if in a daze Lela half-opened her eyes.

"Perhaps?" she repeated. "Per--...Perhaps what?" Jack smiled into his captor's lips.

"Perhaps there is a way you could persuade to fight fair with you," he answered. "Perhaps you already have..."

( >> FFN-WONT-FREAKIN-LEMME-USE-MY-SYMBOLS-OUTPH-MAN-OU-T-P-H >>)

"Gah...blasted sun..." Conleth defended his vision from the worsening sunrise. He had barely slept the night before, not that he ever slept much. Still, the past few days had been thoroughly exhausting. He had thought that with all the extra work he had been doing he would be more fatigued and sleep more easily. But there had been too many things running through his mind. Even if the thoughts were of an innocent nature (well, most of the time) he was beginning to wonder if thinking about Captain Bratchkep was taking a toll on his health.

True enough, he had been with her since almost her very beginnings, and they had been through an infinite number of ventures and escapades and close shaves. True enough, he knew things that had happened to her along the way that no one else did. He thought he knew every bit of her. _But the Sparrow fella has always been the secret that she's never fully told me about... _he contemplated.

Conleth shook his head and rubbed the dust from his eyes that wasn't there. _I know about what happened last night, _he thought, _about what always happens on that night. That Jack Sparrow couldn't know, could he? They haven't even seen each other for over a decade. _His forehead wrinkled up as his eyes charily glanced to the closed doors of the captain's room, the gold and silver beasts glinting in the morning sunlight. _I wonder if she's told him? _

He pulled his eyes away from the Siren Fire and back to the door he was walking to on the Gremlin Flame. _Hmph__, what am I thinking? Has she even told him she still loves him? _Conleth shook his head again and heaved a groaning sigh. She had never actually said that to him. Whenever she absentmindedly got on the subject of Captain Sparrow, Lela had always suddenly remembered herself and just gave vague answers and dismissive comments to her first mate.

But she loved him. She still loved him, even though it seemed as if he had hurt her long ago. Conleth could tell. Though she was, to him, the most convincing actress in the world, her words were almost totally transparent. She loved Jack Sparrow all but too much and Conleth was certain of it.

He continued walking and thinking to himself, and was rather surprised as he opened to galley door to see two people audaciously wrestling with each other on the table. Both of his furry eyebrows shot up in shock and then his mouth twisted in disgust. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing!" barked Conleth.

The two figures abruptly sat up and gazed up at the open door. Only slightly relieved to see that it was, in fact, a man and a woman, Conleth strode over to the opposite edge of the table, took hold of both corners, and shook and bumped it back and forth until the people came flying off. Setting the wooden counter down with clack, he scolded, "For god sakes, Riley, Judith, people **_eat_** there!"

"C-Conleth!" the boy protested, "it's, it's not--!"

"Oh, the hell it ain't!" Conleth growled. He stomped out shaking his hands in the air, leaving a very guilty boy and a very angry woman behind on the galley floor.

Out on deck, the first mate continued to grumble about lecherous women and naïve easily led astray whelps. _I might as well go have a word with the captain, _he concluded. _I've got to do **something** to get those images out of my head! _Quickly glancing at the Diabla Liza and the Black Pearl to see the first signs of the crew awakening, Conleth lifted the gangplank from the ground and pushed it onto the barrister of the Siren Fire. As he walked across the board he heard Judith storm out of the galley and then Riley running after her. After firmly shaking his head to rid his mind of unwanted thoughts, and almost losing his balance because of it, he landed on the deck of his captain's most favoured ship.

At first he thought to go check for Captain Bratchkep below deck but he hesitated and something told him she wasn't down there. Then he heard noises coming from behind the doors of her apartment. _She must already be awake. _Conleth walked towards the other end of the ship where he finally noticed two of the captain's new girls, the Frenchies, on either side of the doors, one sitting up and one curled up on the ground, both sleeping soundly. With their clothing mussed from sleeping on deck it was hard to restrain a rather lewd train of thought, but then flashes of Judith's bare shoulders and breasts struck his mind, almost like a punishment for bawdy ideas.

Shuddering and squinting his eyes, he walked between the lovely Frenchies and knocked twice on the thick entryway. He waited, but no answer came, in the form of an opening door or a voice or otherwise. He tried once more, knocking three times loudly, but still he was not answered.

Before he thought it through, Conleth opened one of the doors and walked in. He was about to announce himself but when he looked about the room, Captain Bratchkep was nowhere to be found. Not at her desk, not at her table, and not in her bed. His cheeks coloured a little bit, thinking perhaps that he had walked in on her while she was dressing.

Then something else occurred to him: Jack Sparrow was nowhere to be found either. Suddenly filled with anxiety and dread, Conleth turned towards the rice paper dressing screen, and underneath the middle slat were many strands of long black hair covering the ground. He heard gasps and snatches of sentences, "please" and "don't" and "stop." He become more horrified than ever and rushed behind the panel, fearing the worst. The Sparrow bastard was on top of Lela with his hands at her neck; he was choking her! She had her hands about his neck trying to throw him off, but he as too heavy! Conleth hastily pulled out his sword and ran towards them. Unfortunately he tripped on Jack's foot and came down on his knees.

Two very surprised and considerably embarrassed pirate captains pulled away from each and looked up at an even more stunned and discomfited face. Conleth looked more closely at the two. His captain had only a small chemise on her torso that didn't even cover her stomach, the other captain had his shirt unbuttoned, both heads of hair were all over the place, and there were painfully obvious love bites on Lela's stomach and both of their necks and shoulders.

Conleth's mouth kept opening and closing, as if he was about to scream what, then he changed his mind, and then scream why and when and how and then change his mind accordingly. Lela pressed her face into Jack's chest as her bewilderment and confusion and mortification grew. Jack just kept looking at Conleth as if to say that he should leave immediately, but at the same time looking much too pleased with himself.

Captain Lela Bratchkep's first mate ultimately slowly closed his eyes and tilted his head downward. Then he slowly opened his mouth, took a deep breath through his nose, and slowly said, "I'm going to go sit at your desk. I'm going to close my eyes and try to sleep. I suggest that by the time I wake up, you both be fully dressed and ready to explain whatever the fuck seems to have happened here recently, or else prove that I've gone completely insane and I just hallucinated this whole situation." Conleth stood up, turned around rigidly, and walked back to the other end of the room to Lela's desk.

He stopped, just for a moment, and wondered if maybe he really had been hallucinating, and Lela and Sparrow hadn't really been snogging on the cabin floor behind the dressing screen. He heard restrained laughter, snickers and snorts, and then full out giggles and guffaws.

Conleth sighed. Nope, what he had just seen was no hallucination. He carefully pulled out the desk chair and promptly plopped down on it. Then, letting his head drop to the top of the desk, he sank into a most welcome dreamless snooze.

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**A/N:** Woot woot, 3711 words! Blah, again, really sorry about the lateness. Hopefully I'm beginning to escape the clutches of my writer's block. True, I do take a ton of time making one or two events happen, I'm really detailed and descriptive. But hey, I finally moved away from those damn fluffy moments between our leading characters. Not that they're bad or that I hate them, it just felt like there were too many and I couldn't move onto more of the actual plot of the story. Now that I have finally pulled away from that sticky situation where I was stuck, I believe the chapters should be going up more often like when the story originally was put up. sigh, yawn Well, loves, it's 1:46 AM right now and I'm bloody freaking tired. So ta-ta for now.

Drink and be merry and bed many a fair lad! (Er, y'know...**_lass_**...whate're floats yer boat...)

Fare thee well, safe journeys, and I'll be in Scotland a'fore ye!

kitty--Ibea Female Pirate, Savvy?


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